Tears Left Uncried
by Kaena Blaise
Summary: Lee Fumetsu was a very plain and much too ordinary girl who spent most of her time just trying to fade into the back ground and away from wandering eyes. All that changed on the day her class took a trip to Higurashi Shrine and she's pulled back in time to the Feudal Era, getting possessed by a nine-tailed fox-demon along the way. What next? (More summary inside.) *Ch. 39 UP!*
1. Chapter 1: Too Weird For Words

**Tears Left Uncried**

"_Lee Fumetsu was a very plain and much too ordinary girl who spent most of her time just trying to fade into the back ground and away from wandering eyes. All that changed on the day her class took a trip to Higurashi Shrine and she's pulled back in time to the Feudal Era, getting possessed by a nine-tailed fox-demon along the way. Then she's chased through a strange new world, off the edge of a cliff, and into a freezing cold river. Could her day get any worse?!"_

_**Raye**__: Yes, we know. They read that on the way into this story. That's why they clicked on it in the first place. Can we get on with it now?_

_**KB**__: You're very impatient._

_**Raye**__: I'm not the one repeating myself over and over again about the same crap. These readers are here to read about me not to listen to you ramble on about no-thin-g. *Stomps away and slams the door*_

_**KB**__: Did she just slam my mental door?_

_**Lee**__: Yes. That she did. But then again, you're the one having a discussion with two figments of your imagination instead of starting your story. Readers are getting bored._

_**KB**__: Ugh! Fine! I try to do one thing right and you two ruin it for me._

_**Lee**__: …_

_**KB**__: Alright! I'm going already!_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**Chapter 1:**

**Too Weird For Words**

Lee Fumetsu.

That's her name. Some name, huh? Fumetsu. It sounds like a perfume or something. She's hated it since the first time she was ever teased. Sure her lack of fashion sense, self-confidence, and grace only add to the fact, but for some reason, she's always blamed most of it on her name.

Fumetsu. Meaning: never dies.

Yeah, as in the teasing '_never dies_' or the laughter '_never dies_' or the name-calling '_never dies_'. It's a wonder she's '_never died_' from all the constant mockery. It has helped her get stronger though…in a sense.

She's never cried once.

Well, yeah, she cried at her grandmother's funeral and when her pet goldfish had to get flushed down the toilet but outside of all that. She's never cried since starting middle school. After so much, a person starts building up a callous against it and it doesn't bother them so much.

But, in Lee's case, it's made her that much more socially awkward. She ducks through the school halls, pressed as close to the lockers as she can get, clutching her books to her chest and hunkering in on herself until she's practically a walking ball. On lunch hours, instead of braving the cafeteria, she pulls out an apple that she packed from home and hides in the library. And during gym she strays at the very back of the pack when running the mile or stands gawkily at the back of the tennis court, clutching the tennis racket like it's a life line, and prays that the ball won't find her.

Yeah, she's a social butterfly. (Sarcasm.) Only to add to her list of numerable problems, Lee wears glasses. She doesn't really need them except to read, but they've formed a permanent place on her nose as if she can hide behind them from the world. She could use her long, softly curled, brown hair to hide behind but she fears that too will only add to her clumsiness, so she keeps it pinned up in a tight bun at the back of her head.

So this is Lee. Lee Fumetsu. The awkward, clumsy, shy girl you can always find in the front of the room closest to the door, ready to bolt at the first sign of focus on her. Some chick, isn't she?

"LEE! Get up or you'll be late!" A woman shouts from down the hall of the small apartment.

Lee is already in the bathroom of course; moving like a silent ghost has become second nature to her. She quickly fumbles to put away her tooth brush and then begins the task of twisting her hair back into its bun and pinning it down with about twenty pins. Brushing through her long bangs, she tries to make them look somewhat decent, but with her glasses in the way there's not a chance of that.

_As if I could take them off_, She thinks. Lee drops her hands with an exasperated sigh and stares at her reflection in the mirror. "Give it up, Lee. This is as good as it's ever going to get and you know it. Just give it up."

A small snicker from the doorway to the bathroom catches her attention and Lee glances down at her little sister out of the corner of her eye. "Still talking to yourself, Lee? I always knew you'd crack one day."

"Get out, brat." Lee tries to sound mean, but the emotion has never been in her arsenal of emotions. She's too soft for anger. Instead, it comes out sounding like a squishy request.

Her little sister, Rini, burst into laughter as she slips away down the hallway. "Mom, Lee's already up and talking to ghosts again."

"I am not." Lee wants to shout, but her voice dies again. With one last exhausted look in the mirror, she shuts off the light and hurries to the kitchen where her mother is just setting down a plate of eggs and bacon on the table. "Mom, did you remember to sign my permission slip? I have to have it ready at the bus or I won't be able to go."

The short haired, slender woman known as Fuu nods and picks up a slip of paper from the counter to give to Lee. "Yes, and I made sure to attach a note to your teacher to remind her of your aichmophobia (fear of sharp object…mainly swords)."

"Mom," Lee rolls her eyes, "I don't have a…aic…uh…"

"She's a chicken of sharp stuff." Rini helps around a mouthful of food.

"Rini." Lee sighs. "Mom, please take off that note. I'm not afraid of sharp stuff. That was one time, way back in grade school."

Fuu Fumetsu lifts an eyebrow, not having to say a word. Lee locks her jaw, giving up yet again, and grabs an apple from the basket on the table. She races for the door. "Lee, you need to eat!"

"I'll be fine! I'm already out the door!" She calls back, shutting the door harder than needed to emphasis her words. She's always run to school, so the distance doesn't bother her. In fact, she's rather good at running; it helps in escaping all the snickers and gossip people say about her.

The bus is already loading as she enters the school gate and she quickly rushes up to her teacher who waits at the bus doors. Lee groans. Now, she'll have to walk past all the people already on the bus. Great.

"Fumetsu, you're late." Her teacher glares down at her. Even the teachers spoke about her sometimes when they thought she couldn't hear, but she's walked past the teacher's lounge plenty of times to hear them snicker. Lee tears off her mother's 'note' behind her back and then hands over the permission slip by itself.

"I'm sorry, Sensei." Lee bows and then hurries onto the bus as she stuffs her mother's 'note' into her bag and swings it onto her back. At the top of the steps, she stumbles to a quick stop as she realizes that not just a few people have arrived-everyone has. Her eyes bulge out her head and she quickly glues them to the stick floor of the bus.

_Invisible. You are invisible. No one can see you_, Lee chants in her mind over and over. With one hand clutching the strap of her bag and the other fiddling with the folds of her green skirt, Lee carefully inches her way towards the back of the bus, careful not to touch anyone or look at anyone. One mistake would mean another week of new gossip and new names to call her. _You are invisible. You are air. You are a ninja-._

BAM!

"Agh!" And down she goes. A foot pops out just as she's about to make it to an empty seat at the back and it catches her on her right ankle. Laughter explodes in the bus, echoing loudly. Lee quickly climbs to her feet and scrambles into the seat. Gum had gotten stuck to her hand when she had tried to catch herself so now she stuck trying to pick it off. Her face burns in embarrassment and her knees are shaking uncontrollably.

"How was the view down there Fumetsu?" Someone jokes.

"Nice legs, four eyes." Someone else adds.

Even the newest student at their school, a majorly gorgeous boy with strikingly beautiful green eyes and blonde hair laughs with them. Lee's had a crush on him since he came here and somehow everyone knew.

"Hey, Shinjo-san, how's that for your future wife? Hope you like them clumsy and covered in gum." A girl laughs.

Shinjo-san laughs harder. "No way!"

Lee's face burns hotter. Of course he wouldn't want a clumsy wife. He'd go for a graceful one with a beautiful face and perfect body. All boys do. Pulling out her text book and opening it to a random page, Lee pulls out a smaller book and reads it behind the larger one. Secretly, she'll sometimes pick up a romance book just to make her feel better, skipping over the more graphic parts, of course. She's too squeamish to even peek at them.

The bus starts up with a rumble and jerks into gear as it pulls out of the parking lot. The ride down the streets is bumpy and loud, filled with the new jokes and gossip that she had dreaded. Even her book can't seem to pull her free from the horrible world around her. She feared nothing ever could.

But she can't imagine the fate waiting for her at the Higurashi Shrine. A new and wonderful adventure lies just beyond the tall tower of stone steps to the holy grounds. All she has to do is get there.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Yes, I've decided to go back and update the chapters. It's going to be a long process, so please bear with me. A good friend of mine named **Aaron** had a nice long talk with me and convinced me to try again with this story. I've had my mind cleared of all the fog and muck thanks to a wonderful reader named **StrengthHonorLove** and I've decided to try my best to redo "Tears Left Uncried" to the best of my ability. It's readers like them who I adore because they leave me the advice and the help I so desperately need to make my stories better.

They make me a better writer and I do appreciate all their help. So thanks to both of you and I send you both virtual cookies and hugs for helping me through my blockage. Y'all are the best!

-KB


	2. Chapter 2: The Crossing Through Time

**Tears Left Uncried**

_**Raye**__: Have we gotten to the part about me yet? I'm tired of waiting. *yawns*_

_**KB**__: Again, impatient. I'm redoing the chapters so it's going to take a bit. You do appear in this chapter though._

_**Raye**__: Really?! *grins*_

_**Lee**__: For like five seconds._

_**Raye**__: Seriously, KB?! Five seconds? That's it?_

_**KB**__: What? At least you show up! I'm trying to keep to my original storyline but fix some things. Take a chill pill._

_**Raye**__: There's no such thing._

_**KB**__: Yes, there is. It's called a breath mint._

_**Raye**__: Just what are you trying to say?_

_**Lee**__: …Um, girls. The story?_

_**KB**__: Right! Sorry!_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**Chapter 2:**

**The Crossing Through Time**

"Okay, class, stick together. These are holy grounds and I won't have any of you dishonoring me." Sensei orders the group of excited kids. Again, Lee is found at the back, barely an inch from the edge of the steps. If someone turned around to glance at her, she's sure she'd tumble down the long fall to her death. Her mouth goes dry.

"Where's the gift shop?!" A girl yells.

"Yeah! Shopping!"

"Good morning, students."

Lee glances up from swirling the toe of her shoe on the pavement in time to see a short, old man come hobbling towards the ground from inside the shrine. A taller woman with short, dark brown hair, smiles at them at his side.

"Welcome to Higurashi Shrine. It is here that-."

"Wait, is Kagome Higurashi your daughter?" A taller boy at the front of the group interrupts the old man. Lee had heard of Kagome Higurashi, even seen her around school a few times, but had never thought about talking to her. She was always off with her friends or sick from school.

"Yes," The woman beside the old man answers, "Sadly though she is sick again today and was not able to go to school."

_Bingo_, Lee thinks.

"Is she home? Can we go visit her?" A girl asks. Lee wonders if she's one of Kagome's friends.

"Uh…she is at the hospital right now. Her back is giving her more trouble." The grandfather hurries to answer. Lee notices the sweat building up on his brow. What's up with that?

The girl at the front of the group groans in defeat. "Well, give her our best will you?"

"We will." The woman smiles before touching the old man's shoulder. "Father, why don't we show them inside the shrine now?"

The old man lifts his chin proudly. "Ah, yes, this way please. As you can see, this shrine is very old, but it has its share of mysteries and gifts that have been passed down from generation to generation and-."

"Ah! Gift Shop!" The class starts yelling in excitement, cutting off the old man once more. Lee shakes her head, pausing just outside the door.

_Going in there now would be asking for a death wish_, She decides, turning on her toe and going in the opposite direction over the grounds. Lee passes by a beautiful pond and a few old buildings, but nothing as majestic as the tall, proud tree surrounded by a cute, tiny fence. The bark is smooth and graceful even for its age; Lee can tell it's been here for a long time. The tree gives off a wise feeling, even without the string of paper charms encircling its base.

It's then that she notices the bare spot in the bark, like a scar in the wood, as if the bark refused to grow there. She lifts a brow.

"That's weird."

"No, it's our sacred tree."

Lee spins around, squeaking in fright, and nearly trips over the small fence. The woman who had been beside the old man, Kagome's mother no doubt, stands behind her quietly with a soft, welcoming smile. She practically glows with goodness and kindness.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disrespect you…or…uh…it…I-I…um…" Lee gives up on trying to speak, she sucks at that too, and sighs. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, no. Don't be. It is perfectly fine." Kagome's mother laughs softly. "I just saw you out here and thought maybe you'd like to tie your wish on the fence too."

Lee tilts her head to the side in confusion before glancing down at the fence around the tree. She hadn't noticed it before, but small little paper strips were tied in knots along the fence around the foot of the tree where people had paused to pray. How had she not seen that?

"Here."

Lee faces the woman again just as she hands her a piece of paper and pencil. "What makes you think I want to make a wish?" Lee asks curiously.

The woman smile wider. "It's been my experience that we all need help every day during our lives, do we not? Even if it's small and not a constant worry in our thoughts, we all need help with something. It couldn't hurt to ask, right? The worse that could happen is nothing."

Lee lets her gaze fall to the paper and pencil in her hands. "True."

Kagome's mother pats her shoulder affectionately. "Well, then, why don't you ask? Good luck."

She walks away and Lee waits until she's out of earshot before turning back to the wise, old tree and kneeling before it. She finds a nice, empty spot on the fence and then prepares to write down her wish. She stops.

What does she want, though? Lee hadn't really thought about it before, ever. All she can really recall right now is how she had fallen on the bus, how clumsy and awkward she is, how she can't do anything correct.

_That's it then_, She thinks. Scribbling her wish down on her paper, Lee folds it up, ties it to the fence carefully, and then looks up at the tree silently. She thinks about her wish, mentally whispering it to the bare spot in the tree as if it can hear her.

_Please help me do something right._

There!

Lee climbs to her feet suddenly when she spots it. A purple sheen, like a flicker of light, flashes from a small, almost unseen hole in the center of the bare spot. Going against her better judgment, Lee steps gingerly over the fence, her shoe touching the soft grass there, and reaches up towards the purple sparkle.

The flash gets brighter as if it's coming towards her and then everything turns to chaos. The wind picks up around her and shoves her towards the tree. The purple sheen becomes a flare of bright light that explodes from the small hole in the tree and she's sucked into it.

Lee's scream echoes across the shrine grounds but is quickly cut off as she disappears into the old tree and the light vanishes. One minute she's standing on cement, the next she's floating in a dark space with swirling blue, red, and darker violet streams of light. It's like a foreign dimension, cloaked in creepy strangeness.

Lee is so unsure of what to do. She wants to scream bloody murder, gasp as the pretty lights, but also try to turn around and find out what just happened to get her here. She's sure to find the escape door that she fell through behind her, right?

Yeah, that's it. She'll just turn around and climb back out. She'll just tell everyone what happened and… No, that'd only get her laughed at more. No one would believe her anyway, especially about all this.

A man eating tree than swallows people into a black, space-like, void of a stomach. Ha! She didn't even believe herself.

_I'm just tired_, Lee nods. _I did stay up late last night reading._

The soundless, gentle wind around her suddenly picks up into a strong gale and forces Lee to close her eyes and raise her arms to protect her face. Then it just stops. When she opens her eyes again, there's a figure not far off.

_Oh, good. Someone I can tell and they'll believe me. We can both go back and explain and no one will think I'm crazy._ Lee opens her mouth to call out to the figure, but it turns around and she gasps. The sound echoes freakily around her.

It's a woman. A strange looking woman totally different from her, but there in her eyes Lee sees something so familiar. She's never seen this woman in her life and yet in her heart she knows her. The woman looks back at her, her cat-like green eyes holding the same thought Lee has.

_What the heck is going on?!_ Lee wants to scream.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Okay, so here's the updated Chapter 2. Also, I've given the new updated chapters names (ex.: Chapter 1: **Too Weird For Words**), so if you're reading a chapter without a title (ex.: **Chapter 1**) then it's an old chapter and I haven't gotten around to updating it yet.

I hope you guys are liking the new chapters as much as I hope you do. I'm trying to put myself into Lee's shoes a bit more and try to feel what she would be feeling. I'm also playing around a bit more with humor. I'm not too great at it, so if anyone wants to give me some jokes for me to throw in, let me know and I'll credit you for them in the A.N. at the end of the chapter.

Please enjoy!

-KB


	3. Chapter 3: Cold! That Water's Cold!

**Tears Left Uncried**

_**Raye**__: …So…That was my five seconds? My opening act? My grand entrance?_

_**KB**__: Pretty much._

_**Raye**__: I hate you._

_**KB**__: What?_

_**Raye**__: Karma is a bitch, KB, and it's coming for you. Fast._

_**KB**__: Hey, you're opening this chapter!_

_**Raye**__: Karma. *hisses*_

_**Lee**__: Weirdoes. I'm surrounded by weirdoes._

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**Chapter 3:**

**Cold! That Water's Cold!**

She's dressed in a kimono, weird for the time period they're in. Then again, are they even **in** a time period anymore? Lee tries to reach out towards the woman and the stranger mirrors her action, but then she's suddenly sent flying at the woman as that familiar purple light radiates inside the woman's chest. Lee screams, the woman doing the same, and their voices swirl into the foreign space around them.

And then the woman's not there, as if she hadn't been there to begin with, and Lee is thrust out of the space and dropped on her face.

"Ow!" Lee squeaks as the hard dirt smashes her nose uncomfortably. "Ow…man, that's the second time today I've been dropped on my nose. What the heck is up with today?! I am not **this** cursed."

Sitting, up on her feet, Lee rubs her nose warily so as not to flare up the pain any more than it already is and groans in annoyance. She knew today was going to be bad, but she didn't know it was going to be this bad. "No more apples for breakfast, I guess." She grumbles.

A calm wind rustles the branches of the trees above her and Lee glances back at the sacred tree. It stands silently, giving no answer to the majorly bizarre event that just took place.

"I hope you don't eat people randomly and then spit them out for your own amusement." She growls at it, still rubbing her nose.

"Well, we won't eat you, but you will be used for our amusement."

Lee freezes at the greasy voice in front of her, afraid to face it. Her eyes bulge out of her head again in fright and she swallows the dryness in her throat. A heavy group of laughter joins the voice and she knows there's more than one of them. It sounds like a lot of them.

_Maybe they came to visit the shrine. Maybe they're lost. Maybe they just like picking on little girls._ Lee fumbles through a list of possibilities to calm her racing heart, but something in their voices terrifies her. _They can't be that bad._

Slowly, she turns her head back around to face them and a high pitches squeak rises in her chest. There are about twenty of them-dirty, kimono wearing, men with growth on their chins and face that only adds to their scary disposition. And their menacing grins and snickers don't really help them at all.

_No_, Lee whines mentally, _They could be worse._

The man who obviously spoke takes a step forward and Lee flinches back, dropping her hand from her nose and scotching back against the sacred tree. "Well, men, looks to me that we've found ourselves a most interesting prize. It's not every day you find a girl dressed in such a short, tempting kimono popping out of trees." He chuckles unpleasantly.

_Short? Tempting? Popping out of trees?_ The words are all simple enough, but they go right over her head anyway. "Um...e-excuse me?"

"So what say you we take her for keeps?" The man grins, kneeling down in front of her. "She's not much to look at, but she's not bad looking either. She could catch us a nice price if we fix her up."

A murmur of agreement and laughter shifts over the group of men and Lee's eyes widen impossibly more. She tightens her hold on the strap of her bag that had somehow remained on her back during her trip through that wacky space and her other hand digs her nails into the ground nervously. She feels something smooth and cold against her fingers and recognizes it instantly. A rock.

The man reaches forward and casually touches a piece of her hair that has come loose from her bun and spirals down around her face. "Then again we could keep her for ourselves. She might be good for some entertainment while we're away from our village."

Lee doesn't wait, nor does she understand the flash of heat that flares through her body. All she knows is the feeling of her palm across the cool stone as she grips it and the feeling of it slamming against the man's jaw. She can feel stone hit bone and it grosses her out so much she lets out an ear-piecing shriek.

Oh, yeah, sure. **Now** she screams.

She rushes to her feet and takes off. It's only then that she realizes that the shrine is gone and is replaced by thick forests all around her. The trees all look the same; she doesn't know where she's at.

There's a snap and something tears into her right arm as it flings out to her side as she runs and she cries out against the pain. Loud, angry shouts are barreling after her so she doesn't stop to check the wound. She does look behind her to find the one she had hit with a rock flinging a deadly looking whip at her. The frayed ends snap near her head and Lee picks up her speed.

"Where the heck am I?!" Lee shouts. "What's going on?!"

The trees are so thick that she's forced to zigzag back and forth to avoid them. The last thing she needs is to run into one and get knocked out for these perverts to have. Then again, who's to say their real anyway. Maybe she fell asleep in the sun at the base of the tree and this is all just a crazy dream.

The pain in her arm flare and she winces. _If this is a dream, it shouldn't hurt this bad._

She glances back again only to skid to a quick stop to keep from flying over the ledge that pops up out of nowhere before her. A deep river tumbles into rapids far below her and the jagged rocks make it look like an angry monster. The water roars and the sound sends a rumble of fear through her body. She can't just jump! Those rocks would kill her.

The angry men behind her have caught up, their furious hollers becoming louder than the sound of thee river. Lee spins around and gasps as the man with the whip flings it forward in another attempt to strike her. Her heel slips at the edge and she falls back at the frayed ends of the weapon crack just above her head…where her chest had been not five seconds before.

Lee yells bloody murder as she free falls to the deadly waters below. She crashes into the surface, it breaks with a sound like ice, and all she can think is the cold that swallows her.

_No! I can't die like this. This is just a dream. You can't die in a dream!_ She thinks. Her hands fumble through the rough waters that thunder in her ears, desperate to find a hold anywhere. Nothing aids her. The currents have her and they won't release her until she's either dead or the rapids end. Even then, there's no guarantee that she'll even survive the cold. Already, she can feel her body turning to ice.

_This is so not how I wanted my day to go._

As if answering her complaint and making it worse than she could ever imagine, her head smacks into a rock and all goes dark.

When she wakes, she's not sure if she's dead or dying. Her body feels like it's floating on air and yet heavier than a ton of weights. Her head feels the heaviest of all; her mind is all jumbled like a mess of fog that won't clear.

She does make out a buzzing though. It's faint, at the back of her skull, but it gets louder with every passing moment. Then the buzzing turns to humming, and then murmurs, and then words.

"The lord will not like this at all, Rin." The first voice that becomes clear screeches. It sounds like a withered up, dried toad…if that was even a thing to begin with.

"But she'd hurt, Master Jaken. The river is very cold this time of year and she came down all those rapids. Lord Sesshomaru can help her, I know it." The second voice, a sweet chime of bells, pleads. Lee groans from the pain as she tries to move her head towards the voices. As her eyes flutter open, she finds a small flickering campfire, its dazzling glow doing nothing to ease the freezing inside her bones. They must have just pulled her out because she can feel the water dripping off her bangs.

"We cannot keep picking up stray dogs!" The scratchy voice responds.

This hits a nerve. Lee glares at the fire as her vision finishes clearing and focuses. A small girl, a little younger than her little sister, sits on a long on the other side of the fire. A blade of grass is being fiddled with in her hands as she scrunches up her eyebrows worriedly. Some of her dark brown hair is pulled up into a cute pig-tail on the side of her head while the rest hangs down her back. Her kimono is warm patches of warm orange colors.

"I'm not a stray…dog." Lee forces out through the pounding in her skull as she sits up. The small girl on the opposite side of the fire bounces up excitedly and sits down next to Lee as if they are best friends.

"Hi! How are you feeling? Better?" The small girl smiles. "I'm Rin."

"Uh…hi, Rin." Lee greets, caught off guard by the girl's openly kind nature. "I'm fine…I think. My head hurts and-."

"Rin, don't interact with her!" The scratchy voice demands.

Lee turns to the voice and cries out. Rushing to her feet, she snatches the long staff from the creature's hand easily and whacks it. "Agh! Gremlin!"

"No, that's Master Jaken. He's really nice. He's the one who bandaged your arm!"

Lee doesn't listen, she holds the stick up again, preparing to hit the imp creature again, when it sits up and glares at her. "Unhand that! A stupid human has no place to touch the staff of two heads."

"The…s-staff-a-what…?" Lee asks, pausing in her attack, and takes a closer inspection on the stick. She wishes she hadn't. "AGH! Ew! Gross!"

She drops it as if it burned her the second she sees the two, way too realistic, faces on the top of the stick-one of an old man and the other of a woman. "Okay, no way! This is way too much for me. I gotta get out of here. I got to get home."

"No, please don't leave. You're still hurt." Rin rushes after her, but Lee ignores the figment of her imagination. All she really wants to do is sit down because her head is starting to spin terribly and her stomach is getting woozy.

"This is all a messed up dream. I'm gonna wake up any second now and be passed out on that bench beside the tree. Better yet, maybe I haven't even left for school yet and I'm still at home in bed. That'd be nice. Then I could start the whole day over again and not trip on the bus this time." Lee rambles on and on, walking off into the trees nearby. She can faintly hear the sound of the river and that's definitely not the way she wants to go.

"Please! Lord Sesshomaru will help. I know he'll be able to get you home. Please, wait until he returns." Rin calls again, rushing to keep up with her.

"Rin, leave the stupid human alone. Let her go to her death. She's obviously delirious." The imp screeches after the small girl.

"I'm not a stupid human. Stop calling me that." Lee does hear this and again, that strange new heat flares into her body. As she spins back around to walk away, her head crashes into something else that reminds her of a rock and her skull throbs even worse. The spinning worsens and suddenly her knees feel weak.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you've returned!" Rin exclaims happily, but it sounds so far off the Lee.

'Ow, my head. What is going on? What's wrong with me? Did I really hit the rocks that hard?' Lee rubs her forehead and looks up.

Her vision is starting to blur over again, but not before she takes in the man before her. He's tall, taller than her, with golden cat-like eyes that observe her with cold reserve and long silky silver hair. His kimono is mostly white, tucked into dangerous looking armor and white kimono pants.

_Wow, he's gorgeous,_ Lee thinks before passing out. Funny thing is, she never hits the ground.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Okay, how was the update of chapter 3? I know things are shorter but I figured if it was shorter then readers wouldn't get as tired as they would when reading a long chapter. I'm going to try to make all the chapters shorter in fact.

Just so everyone knows, You'll know if it's a new chapter or not because I'm giving the new chapters names. So if the chapter doesn't have a name then it's an old chapter and I haven't gotten around to updating it yet.

Leave any advice if you have any please!

-KB


	4. Chapter 4: Demons, Toads, and Brothels?

**Tears Left Uncried**

_**Raye**__: So do I get any face time this round, or what?_

_**KB**__: Ugh! Somebody shut her up._

_**Raye**__: You can't shut up what you invented. *sarcastic grin*_

_**Lee**__: Can you two stop fighting for five seconds please? KB, Raye does have a point. You did create her to be talkative and rash._

_**Raye**__: Excuse me?!_

_**KB**__: Yeah, but if I'd known she was going to turn out this bad I would've kept her as a side character._

_**Raye**__: What?!_

_**Lee**__: You're fault there._

_**KB**__: Yes, I take full responsibility. Shall we continue with the story?_

_**Lee**__: After you. *bow*_

_**KB**__: Why couldn't Raye be more like you?_

_**Raye**__: I'm standing RIGHT HERE! Gaa, I hate you both!_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**Chapter 4:**

**Demons and Toads and…Brothels? Oh My!**

_Your name!_

_Your age!_

Lee sighs again for what feels like the hundredth time this morning, eyes boring death glares into the guy's back. Kind of hard to do with all that hair in the way…all that long, smooth silvery hair.

_I wonder what it would feel like to... No! Stop it, Lee, stop it!_ She face-palms herself…for what feels like the thousandth time this morning. Yeah, today's been great if you haven't guessed that for yourself yet.

Lee's morning had not been her usual routine morning. Where she would've slept in until at least seven fifteen, this guy got them up at…who knows what hour, but she knows that it was way before her usual time. The sun wasn't even up, for crying out loud!

And as for brushing her teeth? Yeah, right!

Oh, are you wondering about breakfast? Yeah, she's getting to that part.

She. Ate. A. Boar.

A freakin' WILD boar!

No beef. No chicken. Not even sushi! No, this guy came back carrying a giant pig on his shoulder and just tossed in onto the fire. Lee's sure that one had to clean wild animals before cooking them, right? Or something along those lines at least.

Nope, not them. They just waited until the hide was all toasty brown and then broke into it like…like…savages! Well, at least the small girl, Rin, ate with a little decency; popping in small pieces of meat into her mouth at a time. The toad thing took different measures, ripping off a hind leg and shredding into it like a chicken leg.

Lee had wanted to run behind the nearest tree and barf with disgust. Instead of embarrassing herself more, she just remained balled up in her spot on the ground and watched in horror; her appetite vanishing much like her bag had in the river.

Speaking of which…

"I don't even have my brush…" Lee whines to herself, hugging her arms tighter around herself as they continued over the hills of grass, occasionally finding a dirt road to follow along the way. Her hair brush had been something she always brought with her everywhere, even though wearing her hair endlessly in a bun at the back of her head never called for her to use it. Just another useless thing in her bag just like the romance novel that she hid there had been. Again, she sighs.

Rin slows down to walk beside her, still gripping the reins on the two-headed…dragon...thing…Geez, whatever. "Miss Lee. Are you okay?" The small child stares up at her worriedly, tugging at her uniform skirt with her tiny free hand.

Lee almost doesn't hear her over the rambling thoughts in her head. _Of course I'm not okay! I got eaten by a tree, chased by some greasy pervert, tossed down a freezing cold river which wasn't fun by the way, had a rock hit my head, and had to eat a. WILD. BOAR! No, I'm not okay!_

Course, she didn't say this. She's not a kid hater. She actually likes kids; excluding her sister.

Lee sighs heavily…again…and tries to put on a smile. She can feel it practically tangling on her face from the lack of 'truth-glue' holding it on. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little hot."

Rin laughs. "Yeah, it is really hot today, but at least there's a breeze about!" She races off, skipping through the grass and sending flower petals into the wind. The dragon…thing…doesn't take the chance to race off now that it's free from the girl's grasp. Instead, it remains by Lee's side and keeps pace with her while it watches Rin dance through the grass.

_Even the ride's got issues._ Lee thinks, giving the beast a wary glance. When the dragon doesn't make a move to snap at her, Lee finds Rin with her eyes again just as she spirals around and tries to grab onto the petals that fly into the air above her. _How can someone be so positive?_

"My Lord, shall we head to the village first or to the caves?"

Lee shifts her gaze towards the two…males (if that's what that toad creature is) walking in front of them. The silver-haired guy doesn't move to look down at his loyal follower at all, just going to prove Lee's theory that he's a stuck up snob like the kids from her school. She can practically feel the cloud of pride billowing off of him.

_Wait, is 'billowing' even a word?_ She wonders off into her thoughts again, just proving **everyone's** theory that she really is a scatter brain.

As if to answer the toad's question for the tall guy, a small village comes into view as they reach the top of the hill and Lee takes the pause to stop and catch her breath. They'd been hiking since breakfast (if that's what you can call it) and her feet are blistering in her uniform shoes. The hot sun isn't making anything better at all, adding to her discomfort. She'd usually go home after school and slip into her soft pajamas and fuzzy house slippers before curling up with a good book.

Again, no. Now, she's stuck with the feeling of sweat building up on the back of her neck and down her back, making her clothes feel all sticky, and her ankles becoming more sore with every excruciating step.

"Aye, the village. Great choice, my Lord." The toad bows. The guy answers by stalking off and leaving the toad bowing to nothing. "Ah! My Lord, please wait for me!"

_He's so sucking up to him and this guy isn't even bothering to give him the time of day. Maybe his silver hair means 'brainless' in this world._ Lee shakes her head as she stands back up from leaning over on her knees and starts back after them with heavy breath. She can't wait until she gets a chance to sit down, maybe even find some normal food.

"Come on, Miss Lee!" Rin grabs her hand excitedly and tugs Lee's sore body along behind her. The dragon creature follows faithfully along.

As they enter the village, some of the poorly dressed kimono people duck into their houses in fear, others gaze in wonder as they pass, and others…

Lee jerks in surprise. "Wait, brothels? You mean they actually had those back then?"

"What are brothels?" Rin asks.

Lee gulps. "Nothing! Nothing. Forget it."

"I only ask because Lord Sesshomaru seems to like those places." Rin continues as if Lee hadn't said anything and points back at the painted, very loosely dressed, women who bat their eyelashes at this supposed 'lord'.

"Likes?" Lee dares to inquire.

"He goes there a lot." Rin smiles so innocently and Lee bites her tongue.

"I shouldn't have asked."

They pass the brothel, stopping in the center of the village, and the tall guy turns towards Rin. He tosses her a small bag before turning away; suspiciously towards the brothels. "Rin, you will fend for yourself for today. Stay in the town and do not wonder."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin announces proudly as if her words are her words of the day. "Can miss Lee come with me?"

For the second time today, the silver-haired guy (yes, she's refusing to say his name) turns those cold, sharp, gold eyes on her and the hair stands on the back of her neck. Lee turns her eyes elsewhere to avoid his uncomfortable gaze.

"See that she stays out of trouble."

"What?!" Lee snaps, that strange anger boiling up out of nowhere and taking hold of her. She slaps her hand over her mouth and reins herself back in. What the heck is wrong with her? She's not like this at all.

With his orders given, he stalks off, the toad stumbling to catch up.

Rin takes her by the hand and bounces in place. "Isn't Lord Sesshomaru so nice?"

"Nice? He left us here to fend for ourselves. How is that nice?" Lee groans, rubbing the space between her eyebrows where a headache is beginning to form.

"He gave us money." Rin starts to pout as she fiddles with the string on the bag.

"That just proves he's a **rich** stuck up snob." She mumbles. Rin tilts her head in confusion, obviously not understanding the word 'snob', so Lee just smiles at the child and rubs her head. "Just forget it. How about we go spend all that money on useless stuff to pay him back, huh?"

Rin's smile returns, unaware of the evil intent behind the suggestion, and she starts bouncing in place again. "Okay, let's go!"

They start to turn around, but Lee has to jerk to a stop to keep from running smack into an old lady. Weird thing is, the lady is standing on a wooden box so that her eyes are even with Lee's.

_How the heck-? When did-? Where did-? Huh?!_ Lee can't form a single coherent thought at all as to what the old lady's deal is.

The woman is dressed in a red kimono, quite flashy compared to the villagers walking by in browns, with white hair pulled into two braids that lie down the sides of her neck. Her eyes are a brilliant aqua, like the sea, and Lee swears they shift out of a cat-like look. But the moment passes and the woman's eyes are normal as any other human's. Lee tries to back up away from the woman standing on the box, but the lady grabs the red neck tie on her uniform and holds Lee in her place. A very close and very uncomfortable three inches from the old woman's face.

"C-can I help you?" Lee forces out, tugging weakly on the neck tie. The old woman tightens her grip in response and narrows her eyes as if she's trying to see something. Lee tries feebly to lean away from the woman as she rocks towards her, but nothing helps. He uniform shoes are rooted to the ground.

"No." The woman barks her answer, leaning closer until their noses are touching. She lowers her voice to almost a whisper. "It is **I** who can help ye."

"Uh…pardon?"

"Come!" The old woman throws up her hand, face exploding into an excited smile as she hops down from her box, so quickly in fact that Lee gasps in fright and lands on her butt.

"For what?" Lee calls after the woman breathlessly. Rin hurries to her side to help Lee to her feet.

The old woman pauses just long enough to glare back over her shoulder menacingly. "To find your destiny."

Rin and Lee share a look that clearly says _she's lost her mind_.

"Come, we make ye beautiful!" The woman grabs Lee's hand again and yanks Lee into a small shop at the edge of the street. Rin follows behind hurriedly.

"Rin, help!" Lee squeaks out from behind a curtain as the woman pokes and tugs at her from all directions. It's impossible to keep up with the lady with her speed. Before Lee can stop her, the old lady has stripped her down to her unmentionables and tossed a bundle of cloth into her arms.

"Dress." The woman orders. She tries to take Lee's glasses, but the taller girl wins that battle as she holds them high above her head out of the woman's reach. Not a second later, Lee's uniform is gone and a blue kimono with short sleeves is in its place. A very short kimono.

The darn thing barely goes half-way down her thigh, for Pete's sake! It's tied shut with a white wrap while matching blue cloth is pulled onto each of her forearms like bracers and onto her calves like shin guards. Lee doesn't have a clue to where her uniform shoes have gone to, but they're replaced too by those uncomfortable sandals that they wore in the olden days.

Lee looks down at herself in horror. "Are you crazy?! I can't go out like this! I'll be gawked at for sure!"

"Good!" The woman laughs, pushing the two girls towards the door.

"No, not good." Lee argues.

"Yes, good! Men will be fighting for ye hand in no time." She shoves them out into the street and slams the door behind them. Lee and Rin stand there in silence, unsure of what to make of the encounter at all. They glance at each other before Rin just shrugs and smiles.

"You look pretty."

"That's not the point!" Lee spins around, ready to tear down the door, but comes to a halt as she finds nothing there. The shop is gone, vanished, disappeared into thin air. "What the-?! How-?!"

Again at a loss of words, Lee drops to her knees where she stands and starts whining again. "Why me? Why can't I wake up? I wanna go home!"

"But miss Lee, you got a free outfit." Rin points out.

"It ain't free! That old hag took my uniform as payment!" Lee bites on her tongue as that strange anger pours out of her mouth again and hangs her head. "This day can't get any worse."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So to start off I want to, again, thank two very special readers of mine named **Aaron** and **StrengthHonorLove** for helping me to get over my writer's block and the threat of never finishing this story. And also to thank them for the excellent advice that has helped me to better my writing. Thank you both for everything.

As a reminder to all of my readers, if the chapters have titles (ex: chapter 1: Too Weird For Words) then that means it is an UPDATED chapter and new. If the chapters are without a title (ex.: Chapter 1) then they are OLD and haven't been redone yet.

I'm trying to also make the chapters shorter so that readers don't get bored with long chapters to read, so if anyone has any ideas they want to see in the new chapters then send them in now and I'll credit you. Thanks again to all my readers.

-KB


	5. Chapter 5: I'm Starting To Hate Whips!

**Tears Left Uncried**

_**Raye**__: …_

_**KB**__: So she's really going to ignore me from now on?_

_**Lee**__: Yep, until you bring her fully into the story._

_**KB**__: Thank God._

_**Raye**__: *Glares*_

_**KB**__: *Sigh* Of course she could just switch to that instead. I think I'm starting to miss her loud rants._

_**Lee**__: Just be grateful. She could be throwing knives…._

_**KB & Lee**__: *Stare off at Raye*_

_**KB**__: Back away slowly…_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**Chapter 5:**

**I'm Really Starting To Hate Whips**

"Lord Sesshomaru! Miss Lee received new clothes from a kind old lady!" Rin skips up to her two returning companions. Lee groans, preparing to face the inevitably long walk ahead of her. She glares down at the sandals on her slim feet just waiting for the feeble looking things to give one of those weak girly shrill you heard on cartoons and take off into the nearest escape hole they could find. She knows that inanimate objects can't move though…right?

"See? Doesn't she look pretty?"

Lee looks up from her new shoes to finish what the little Rin hadn't told them, that new anger tainting her words with a sarcasm that she'd have never used before. "Yeah, then the old fortune cookie ran off with my clothes. Stealing old hag."

_What the heck is wrong with me?! Where'd that come from?_, she thinks, covering her mouth with her hand. She quickly drops it though, the second she locks eyes with the tall '_lord_'. His cold, golden eyes shift down her figure and Lee jerks back in surprise, adverting her eyes quickly as a rush of heat explodes on her face. _Geez, what is wrong with me?_

"Good." He states flatly before turning towards the road out of the village.

Lee flinches. The anger boils. "Good? What's that supposed to mean? I was just robbed and all you can say is 'good'?"

Again, she covers her mouth.

Jaken, the strange little gremlin, spins on her and waves that freaky staff in her face threateningly. "Watch your tongue, you stupid human girl! Do not dare talk to my Lord that way!"

Lee would take his threat seriously if not for the fact that he looked like a cartoon figure bouncing around like a green beach ball. She bites back a grin. Ever since meeting the little creature, she's quickly found out that no one really paid him much attention or took him seriously. Lee kind of felt sorry for the little guy.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru's emotionless voice calls back. Even though his tone is flat, Lee can hear the sharp edge of command under the word and she quickly swallows what she was going to say to the gremlin.

The sun finally reaches the horizon again, kissing the tops of the trees with a warm glow that makes the trees look like they're on fire, and Lee follows them to a small clearing where a river flows into a pool at the base of a cave.

_Cave in the middle of a forest. Yeah, not weird at all considering that we're nowhere near any mountains._ Lee finds a short rock to rest on, collapsing off of her wobbly legs and doubling over in exhaustion with a huff.

"Thank goodness." She mumbles to herself.

"Rin, you are on your own for now." Sesshomaru tells the child again.

"Yes, my Lord!" Rin nods her head, takes the two-headed dragon's reigns from him, and settles down on a log near Lee.

"Again." Lee grumbles under her breath.

"Wish to add something, do you?"

Lee looks up suddenly, finding the tall, silver-haired guy standing before her with all his demon features. Her throat constrict under his gaze, forcing her to choke on her words. How could she answer to that? Then again, just hearing him speak more than one word for once has her stunned, so talking at all is really not an option right now.

Instead, she shakes her head and drops her eyes haltingly.

"Jaken." He walks off with his miniature sidekick following loyally behind. They disappear into the darkness of the cave, leaving the two of them sitting in the quiet with only the whispering of the winds to sing to them. Lee sighs, wishing desperately to go home.

If she'd felt lonely before, it was nothing compared to this. Have a demon with untold power that looked like he could snap her in half just by looking at her, a creepy green frog with obsession issues, and a crazy little girl who clearly doesn't know the meaning of 'dangerous' for company isn't really…company. She has nothing in common with any of them. She's not even from their world.

Again, she sighs, dropping her head in defeat. She's actually starting to miss the teasing the other kids back home shoved at her all the time. At least they all saw her; even if it was in a bad way.

"Miss Lee?"

She looks up as Rin sits down at her feet. The dragon has settled down on the grass and fallen asleep.

"Are you okay? You look pale." Rin touches Lee's knees worriedly, her deep brown eyes shimmering.

Lee quickly forces out a smile. Why worry the small child with problems that have nothing to do with her. It's not like she could help Lee anyway…unless she had a doorway back to Lee's home in her pocket somewhere. "No, I'm fine. My feet just hurt. And I kind of miss my backpack."

"Backpack?" Rin tilts her head.

"Yeah, it had all my school books and brush in it. I really miss my brush. I hate having tangles in my hair." Lee explains.

"But you have your hair up."

"Sure, but when I take it down, I like to brush it out before going to sleep. I haven't taken it down since getting here, I've been pulled down a river, trudged through the heat, and slept on it. I would really like to take a bath and get all the dirt out, but that's really out of the question." Lee trails to a stop, realizing that she's started to rant like a whining child who didn't get something she's wanted.

_Moron!_

Lee jerks up straight, her eyes darting around at the sound of the voice; it's familiar. "Did you hear that?"

Rin stands up quickly, glancing around too. "Hear what?"

The next sound has nothing to do with the voice, but it's something that they both hear this time. A snap. A twig under a boot.

_Snap_!

Lee reacts to the next snap, her memory registering it as something she doesn't like. Her first experience here melded that terrible sound in her mind and there's no way she's going to forget it anytime soon.

The whips tip just brushes the back of her head as Lee trips forward.

"Lee!" Rin cries.

Climbing clumsily to her feet, Lee grab Rin by the wrist and pulls her forward. Too soon they're forced to stop in their paths as a long line of the big, brawny men step in their way. Rin whines under her breath, hugging closer to Lee's side as they back away in horror.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't our little runaway."

_That voice. Oh, crap!_ Lee screams. It's the same group of greasy men from before, the ones who were obsessed with selling her or keeping her like property.

The man, the leader, tightens the grip on his whip, flashing a devilish grin that creeps her out more than usual. "Looks like you've brought along a friend for us this time too. How thoughtful."

Lee's eyes widen in panic and her grip on Rin hardens. Somewhere deep inside, she can feel that unknown anger begin to stir, shifting into a fierce wave of protectiveness; just one more thing to add to the list of stuff that's new about her. Too late to complain now-there's no way they're going to take Rin. She's just a kid.

"S-stay away from her." Lee tries to make her voice sound demanding, tries to draw on the strange anger for help, but the fear is stronger. Fear she knows. Fear is familiar to her.

The barrel of a man throws his head back and laughs in amusement. "Stay away? Are you ordering me around now, princess?" Another good laugh shoots out of him. "Alright, we won't touch her…but you didn't say anything about you."

Lee squeaks and her voice cracks up to a higher tone. "Me too!"

"Too late, princess. Negotiations are already closed." He snaps the whip forward and Lee just acts on instinct. She tosses Rin back and away from the attack, but leaves her body open to danger. The whip hits nowhere on her though. Instead, it wraps like a vice around her neck, pinching her throat and ripping into her skin. She can feel the exposed skin tear open and a drop of blood begin to slide down the side of her neck.

The pain stings like water on a fresh burn and Lee can't help but scream.

"Lee!"

The massive man howls with laughter as he yanks her forward. The whip clenches tighter and Lee's body flies forward and hits the ground hard. The hard dirt slams into her arms and stomach, no doubt leaving bruises that will show up later. Her hip bone flashes in pain as she hits the ground and she tries to turn over, but a heavy boot presses painfully across her back and into her spine. Her lungs cry for air, but the whip is so tight that Lee can't breathe.

"Careful, we don't want her too beat up. If we do, she won't be any good to us."

Lee shakes with a combination of fear and pain, her body pulsing with pain. She's never faced anything like this; she wasn't built for it. Opening her mouth, she tries to suck in air, but all she can manage is to choke out a cough or two.

"Bring some rope and tie her up. Can't let her go until we're sure she's secure. Wouldn't want her running off again."

"Lee! No, let her go!" Rin cries out, somewhere one of the men grabbing her and pushing her away, but Lee can't seem to focus. Her head is spinning from the lack of oxygen. Every voice around her sounds so distant now, nearly drowned out by the terrible pounding in her ears. Is that her heartbeat?

_Can't breathe…can't breathe…can't breathe…_ Lee chants the words over and over in her head. Then another thought breaks through it, surprising her. _Just end it already!_

"What the-?"

Another whipping noise slices through the distant air, sizzling like acid, and Lee forces her heavy eyes open weakly. A flash of green and two of the beefy men are thrown to the ground clutching their chests or stomachs in agony.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin shouts from somewhere far away.

"Back off or I'll strangle her for sure!" Lee's captor threatens.

_If that's the case then do it already._ Lee wants to yell at him. She can feel the skin on her face pulsing, heating up. _God, I need air!_

And just like that, the line is cut. She can just faintly feel her captors grip on the whip vanish and the rope go slack, but the remainder around her neck still remains constricted. Rin is yelling something about it, but already her mind is slipping away. Lee can feel her consciousness fading. At least she'd die in her sleep and not in pain.

Someone touches her shoulder then, rolling her over and then lifting her bruised body into a sitting position. An arm is around her back, but it doesn't feel familiar. The arm reaches around her, the hand coming up to press against the cold skin around her neck.

Fleetingly, Lee can't help but notice how gentle the touch is…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So to start off I want to, again, thank two very special readers of mine named **Aaron** and **StrengthHonorLove** for helping me to get over my writer's block and the threat of never finishing this story. And also to thank them for the excellent advice that has helped me to better my writing. Thank you both for everything.

As a reminder to all of my readers, if the chapters have titles (ex: chapter 1: Too Weird For Words) then that means it is an UPDATED chapter and new. If the chapters are without a title (ex.: Chapter 1) then they are OLD and haven't been redone yet.

How is everyone liking the shorter chapter idea? I know some of the story is behind, but I'm trying really! Please don't kill me! And if anyone's curious about the little comic scripts at the start of the chapters…those are seriously some of the conversations I have with the characters in my head before I begin chapters…seriously. No lie. I'm just waiting for Raye to start throwing daggers at me any minute now.

Again, thanks so much to all my readers.

-KB


	6. Chapter 6: This Place Gets Weirder

**Tears Left Uncried**

_**KB**__: Lee, you get to meet Kagome in this chapter._

_**Lee**__: Cool! ...Who is that again?_

_**KB**__: Did you even pay attention when we were watching the anime?_

_**Lee**__: …Yes._

_**KB**__: You're a terrible liar._

_**Lee**__: You created me. Like creator like creation._

_**KB**__: *Pauses*…I don't even know how to respond to that._

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**Chapter 6:**

**This Place Gets Weirder And Weirder**

**_Hey…Hey! Wake up, ya moron!_**

Lee groans, trying to ignore the voice. There's no way she's ready to wake up yet. It's too early. The dream is too good.

**_Wake up!_**

She can feel herself slipping towards consciousness and she fights against it with everything she's got. Focusing on the deep recessions of her dark mind, Lee releases all thought and tries to go back to sleep.

**_Stop ignoring me! I know you can hear me. Wake up!_**

Something slams against her thoughts, jarring her awake, and Lee sits straight up in confusion. Where is she? What happened? Why isn't her alarm going off?

Then awareness comes over her and her confusion turns to understanding. Right. Sucked through a tree, dragged to another world, dropped into cold water…yeah, yeah. Lee sighs and goes to lie back down, twisting over onto her side, but agony claws up her side and she gasps in pain. Sitting back up quickly, Lee grasps her side for a long moment until the pain dies back down and then gently lets her fingers search over the length of her body. At her hip, soreness throbs under her touch.

Bruised. As she expected.

Next is across the front of her rib cage. The same soreness. Bruised. Gingerly, she reaches up and pulls back the collar of her kimono so that she can see her left shoulder. And again, bruised.

She drops her hands in defeat at her sides and groans. Then she takes notice of the cloth under her. Like a mat rolled out, someone had placed her on top of it so that she was off the ground. Next to her, Rin sleeps soundly, curled up on her side so that she's facing Lee.

Down at her feet, a fire crackles weakly, sending embers up into the night sky to join the bright stars. The dragon is curled up on the other side of the fire, also asleep, but Jaken and Sesshomaru are nowhere to be found.

_Do they ever stay in one place for more than five minutes?_ She rolls her eyes and stares into the flames as they begin to die down. The wood has long been burned, slowly turning to simple coals under the licking wildfire.

Before long, she's watching the sky begin to brighten and the dragon starts to stir. Rin follows suit, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Oh, good morning, miss Lee! How are you feeling?"

Lee laughs. "My throat hurts, my body is bruised up. Yeah, I'm great."

_Since when am I so sarcastic? This isn't like me? Is it even coming from me?_ Lee rolls the thoughts over in her mind. Something is definitely wrong with her. Finding out what is going to be the real problem.

Rin's eyebrows pull together in concern. "Well, Lord Sesshomaru and Mast Jaken wrapped your throat as best as they could, so I'm sure you'll be okay soon. If you'd like, we can ride Aun today to go look for Lord Sesshomaru instead of walking."

"Aun?" Lee lifts an eyebrow in question. As if to answer her, the two-headed dragon lifts its heads and purrs. "Oh."

Rin smiles brightly and helps Lee to her feet. They put out the fire and pack up the mat into the saddle bag over Aun's back before climbing on. "Hang on."

"Hang on?" Lee barely gets the sentence out before Aun takes to the skies. She shrieks, grabbing the front of the saddle in front of Rin so she doesn't fall off. "He can fly?"

"Sure! Aun is amazing!" Rin pats the dragon lovingly and he purrs again. Lee somehow smiles. The big dragon really is gentle, despite his rough exterior.

_Maybe it's what's on the inside…_ Lee's thoughts shift to Sesshomaru. His cold eyes, his emotionless expression, his lack of warmth. _Maybe there's more to him too._

Her eyes drift over the world below them, observing the miles of forests and green grass lands, and suddenly a movement catches her eyes. She loosens a hand to point down at the area below.

"Hey, Rin," Lee starts, "What's that?"

Rin squints her eyes to see and then gasps. "Oh!" She pulls on Aun's reigns and they're suddenly zipping off towards the ground. "I know them!"

Lee watches the movement while they rush towards it as it shifts and takes form. It's not just one movement, it's four. Four people, one pushing something along beside them. _Wait, there's no way bikes can be that old!_

They land and Lee follows Rin to the ground. "Miss Kagome!"

Lee stumbles to a halt. Kagome? Why does that name sound so familiar? Her eyes lift and take in the group before her. A woman carrying a giant boomerang across her back stands close to a man in priest's garb with prayer beads wound around his right hand. The other guy in the group seems a bit younger, sporting silver hair that reminds her of another someone she knows, dressed in a red kimono and armed with a flimsy looking sword at his waist. Rin runs up to one young girl in particular, a girl dressed in…

"Hang on! That's my uniform!" Lee shouts without thinking.

The girl looks up and her eyes widen. "Your uniform? What are you talking about?"

"Miss Kagome, she's from your world too. Her name is Lee." Rin announces proudly with a gleaming smile.

"Seriously?" Kagome shoots forward and takes Lee by the hands, stunning the poor girl. Lee leans away nervously. "You're from my time? How'd you get here? When did you get here? Where did Rin find you?"

"Okay, whoa!" Lee shoots out, that anger inside of her getting annoyed. "One question at a time, please. My name is Lee Fumetsu. What do you mean 'time'? I got swallowed by a tree on your shine grounds. I got here about two days ago. Rin found me by the river after I fell in."

Kagome raises an eyebrow. "Fumetsu? I think I recognize that name. You're in my grade aren't you? Wait, what do you mean by 'swallowed'?"

Sighing, Lee realizes they aren't going to get anywhere by just asking questions back and forth, so she just explains everything that's happened to her from the time she left home until now.

After she is done, Kagome nods in understanding. "Oh, I get it now. That tree you spoke of is the ancient tree, the one Inuyasha was pinned to when I found him. Here let me explain…"

And so it begins. Kagome sits Lee down and begins her longer explanation about their journey. The other people in their group, Lee quickly takes notice of, are still shocked to see someone else from Kagome's time, so they stand off and whisper among themselves. Lee tries to ignore their intense glances towards her. Are they planning to kill her? Are they talking about how odd she looks?

Just her luck, finding more people to gossip about her behind her back. Anxiously, Lee fiddles with the ends of her kimono and becomes more and more aware of how short it is.

"And so now we're still looking for Naraku." Kagome finishes, pulling Lee out of her thoughts.

"So, this guy is really that dangerous?" Lee asks finally, finding her voice.

"What do you think? Have you even been listening to anything Kagome has been saying?" The silver-haired Inuyasha snaps. He storms over and towers over Lee with a death glare. Lee tries not to squirm.

"Inuyasha, stop yelling at her! She's going through exactly what I'm going through so have a heart." Kagome glares up at him. Miroku and Sango, the monk and demon slayer, come to sit down on either side of Lee.

"Yes, Inuyasha. The poor girl has obviously been through an ordeal. The least we can do is help the dear out." Miroku agrees.

Lee starts to say something, but drops her eyes to her thigh in alarm before glancing suspiciously up at the holy man. "I, uh, really appreciate your kind words, but do you have to say that while stroking my leg?"

"Yeah, I said something similar to him when we first met." Sango states flatly as she glares across Lee at the monk. Miroku picks up both hands and waves them in defeat. Both girls slide farther away from him.

"Well, I'll get you home. We can head back to Kaede's village and try going through the well together-."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Inuyasha interrupts Kagome. "We can't just turn back now. We're on Naraku's trail after so long and you want to just leave it?"

Kagome glares up at him again. "Inuyasha, she wants to go home. Do you really think she'll last in Sesshomaru's group? I'm surprised Rin is still alive honestly."

Lee glances back over her shoulder at Shippo, the small fox demon traveling with Kagome's group, and Rin playing in the grass with some crayons and paper.

Inuyasha crosses his arms and stuffs his chin in the air proudly. "Sure I'm as surprised as you that Sesshomaru's kept her alive this long, but that still doesn't mean I'm gonna turn around just to get her home."

"But Inuyasha, she's from my time. She doesn't need to be here. You can already tell by looking at her, I'm sure, that she's terrified. Being with Sesshomaru is probably the main reason, but…wait, are you hurt?" Kagome points at Lee's throat suddenly, raising her voice in alarm.

Lee blinks, caught off guard by the swift change in subject, and touches the bandages around her neck gingerly. "Uh…yeah, but I'm fine. Really."

Kagome shakes her head and stands up. "Inuyasha, we have to take her back."

"No," Inuyasha snaps.

"Inuyasha-!" Kagome starts to argue, but the white-haired young man cuts her off.

"I said no and that's the end of it. Now shut up and let's go."

Kagome's face suddenly turns bright red and Lee knows it's not a blush of embarrassment. It's quite the opposite, in fact. "Inuyasha…"

The guy stops mid-stomp, his back going ridged and he glances back warily over his back. Lee's eyes widen as she glances from Kagome's rising anger to Inuyasha. She can practically feel the electricity in the air and she's sure Inuyasha can feel it too. The poor guy is already spinning around to raise his hands in defense.

"Kagome, wait! I didn't mean…please don't-!"

"SIT!" Kagome screams at the top of her lungs.

In complete astonishment, Lee watches at the beaded necklace around Inuyasha's neck start glowing white and the very next second he's slammed into the ground, creating a two foot deep hole in the dirt. Lee rushes to the hole and stares down into it with wide eyes, her jaw dropping open.

"What the-?" She looks up at Kagome and points at Inuyasha's still form. "How-?"

Kagome's mood changes like the flip of a light switch and all of a sudden she's beaming shyly at Lee. "Yeah, the prayer beads around his neck are linked to my word. What you see before you happens when I say 'sit'."

Lee grins down at Inuyasha. "Cool." Then her eyes spot his cute little dog ears on top of his sparkling white hair. Sure she saw them the second they were introduced, but now she's seeing them up close. "They look so cute!"

Her fingers pinch them happily and Inuyasha lifts his head up to glare at her. "Would you get off?!"

"Is he always this moody?" Lee asks.

"Yes." Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all answer with straight faces.

Lee fights back a grin. _They should all get awards for saying that without laughing._

After helping Inuyasha out of his hole and helping Rin back onto Aun's back, Kagome fishes some things out of her overly packed backpack on her bike and hands them to Lee to take with her. "Take my extra sleeping bag. I always bring a spare with me, but I'm heading back to my time soon because I have a math test coming up and there's no way I can miss that. I'm really sorry we can't take you to the village ourselves, but Inuyasha's right. We just now found Naraku's trail and he's too dangerous to let out of our sights now. Just make it to Kaede's village, tell her you're my friend, and she'll take care of you until we get back. We'll try going through the well when I get there."

"Thank you Kagome. I really appreciate it." Lee smiles at her as she ties the sleeping bag onto Aun's saddle.

"Take this too." Kagome hands her a tooth brush and some toothpaste.

"Are you sure?"

Kagome shrugs. "Trust me, I bring extra of everything when I come here. You never know about anything in this time."

Lee nods, fearful to find out what she means, but is hopeful that she'll leave before having to find out. "Thanks a lot. I guess I'll see you guys back at that village then."

Sango, the demon slayer and her gentle, natural beauty, steps towards her and pulls something out from under one of the pieces of armor that is strapped onto her shoulder. Opening her hand, she hands Lee a small ball. It's firm, but Lee can still feel that the outer layer is soft enough to break.

"Only use that if you really need to," Sango tells her. "It will create a fog when you throw it against something. It will choke a normal demon's sensitive noses and cause them to choke. That should give you enough time for you to get away."

Lee's heart swells in her chest; this is the first time anyone has given her anything. She hugs Kagome and Sango tightly, fearing that she'll never see them again. "Thank you both very much."

"You'll be fine. We'll see you at Kaede's village." Sango hugs her back.

Lee joins Rin on Aun's back and the dragon takes to the skies again. "I'm glad you and miss Kagome know each other. That means you can go home then." Rin smiles.

Lee barely hears her. Her eyes stare down at Kagome's group as they return to their journey until they finally become too small to see at all. For the first time, she's finally hit with the reality that this world **is** real; that this isn't a dream. She gasps, her hands going to her throat.

"Oh my gosh, I could've really actually DIED!"

Rin laughs as Aun carries them on. For a while they just listen to the wind howl around them, but eventually the dragon picks up on something and takes off towards the ground-another wide open grassy meadow.

"There they are!" Rin exclaims excitedly. Lee glances at her warily. How can anyone be happy about returning to two male who obviously have no care for the child at all? It makes no sense.

"Where have you two been?!" Jaken shrieks the second they land.

Lee blinks in surprise. _Maybe they do have hearts._

"We ran into miss Kagome, Lord Sesshomaru! She gave miss Lee some things to use until we reach lady Kaede's village." Rin explains as she goes to bounce eagerly in front of Sesshomaru. The white-haired demon just nods and walks past her.

Lee's eyes narrow into glares. _Well, at least one of them does._

* * *

**Author's Note**

Starting off again I want to, again, thank two very special readers of mine named **Aaron** and **StrengthHonorLove** for helping me to get over my writer's block and the threat of never finishing this story. And also to thank them for the excellent advice that has helped me to better my writing. Thank you both for everything.

I hope to get some advice if anyone sees anything that needs to be changed (EX.: grammer/spelling mistakes) or if anyone has any ideas they'd like to see in future chapters. Shoot me your ideas and I will see what I can do and, of course, I will credit you for them.

As a reminder to all of my readers, if the chapters have titles (ex: chapter 1: Too Weird For Words) then that means it is an UPDATED chapter and new. If the chapters are without a title (ex.: Chapter 1) then they are OLD and haven't been redone yet.

Again, thanks to all my readers.

-KB


	7. Chapter 7: And Now I'm Hearing Voices

**Tears Left Uncried**

_**KB**__: Raye, you're getting screen time now._

_**Raye**__: Finally!_

_**KB & Lee**__: …_

_**Raye**__: What?_

_**KB**__: I think I miss her being mad at me._

_**Lee**__: Why?_

_**KB**__: At least when she's mad, she doesn't talk._

_**Lee**__: True. Now we'll have to listen to her gloat._

_**Raye**__: I'm standing right here._

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**Chapter 7:**

**And Now I'm Hearing Voices…**

"Miss Lee?" Rin asks shyly as Lee ducks down into the warm hot spring. It's a wonder they even found one. She's always wanted to visit one, to have a relaxing day of doing nothing but being pampered, but money has always been an issue with Lee. Then again, she probably wouldn't have had the guts to go to a public hot spring anyway. She already hated how she looked herself so she never wanted anyone else to.

Right now though, out here in the wilds of the feudal era of Japan, Lee doesn't really have a choice. It's either wash or smell; smelling bad is out of the question. "Rin, I told you just to call me Lee."

"I know. I'm sorry. I was just…" Rin ducks into the water until it's over her nose.

"What?" Lee smiles.

"I was just…wondering…about your scar…"

Lee stops scrubbing her hair and bites her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry! I'm nosy! You don't have to tell. I'm sorry." Rin quickly ducks her head in apology and looks like she's ready to burst into tears. Lee sighs and smiles.

"Rin, it's okay. Asking isn't wrong, you just caught me off guard is all. I…hmm…" Lee glances down at her chest, trailing her fingers down the long scar the curves from the right side of her chest, down the center of her chest, and then back down to the right side of her torso. "I was in an accident when I was younger. The doctors had to operate to save my life, but they couldn't get rid of the scar. I'm self-conscious about it, so that's why I don't really like talking about it or wearing showy clothes."

"Why not? Do people make fun of you for it?" Rin asks, genuinely curious about it.

Lee smiles again, dropping her hand and lowering herself into the water so that the scar is out of sight. "No, no one has ever seen it, but I'm sure they would. People in my time are…really judgmental and they'll take any chance they can to pick on someone. "

"That's mean. Then again, people here are like that too. People are scared of demons, but not all of them are bad. Lord Sesshomaru is the kindest of them all." Rin tells her.

_Yeah, right._ Lee rolls her eyes. "It's okay, though. I've gotten used to it."

Rin stares at her for a long moment before saying, "Well, I think your scar looks pretty. It's like a moon."

Lee stares back at the child, so much like her little sister back home, and then returns her smile. "Thank you, Rin. That makes me feel a lot better."

After scrubbing clean, they both climb out and change into their dry clothes, but Rin takes her hand as they start heading back to their small camp. "Lee, do you have any siblings?"

"Yeah, a little sister. She's a bit older than you are, but you remind me a lot of her." Lee tells her.

"Can…I be your little sister too?"

Lee stops in surprise, gazing down at the child's hopeful expression. "Don't you have siblings?"

"No, my parents were killed along with my brothers. Lord Sesshomaru saved me and took me with him." Rin's eyes fill with tears and Lee bends down so that she's eye level with her.

"Then, sure. I'd love to have another sister."

Rin leaps into her arms, almost knocking Lee and her clumsy self to the ground, and hugs her tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Lee offers to carry Rin back to camp, letting the little girl climb onto her back, and they head towards the glowing embers of their campfire together. Lee can't help, but feel a bit lighter. Having a little sister here made this place seem a little less barbaric and surreal. Feeling Rin's tight hug around her neck, Lee feels more grounded now. This place is real, she really can die, and all she has to defend herself against the two male demons she travels with, and the rest of the monsters here, is a small smoke bomb.

_Yeah, that plan can't fail at all._ Lee wants to whine. _I'm gonna die!_

Back at the campsite, Jaken is already asleep, leaning into Aun's side and snoring lightly, but Lee is somehow able to successfully pull the borrowed sleeping bag from the dragon's saddle without stirring the little demon. She rolls it out and sits down on its familiar softness, stretching her fingers across the cottony surface with a heavy sigh. How she misses home already.

Reaching up, Lee starts running her fingers through her hair, not an easy task without a comb to aid her, and fights with every tangle that crosses her path. "Ugh, this is going to take forever!"

The bag drops next to her with a startling thump and Lee jumps back with a yelp. It's her bag. The one she lost in the river. Her precious bag…

Lee quickly snatches it up before it can vanish into smoke, and hugs it to her chest like a renewed life line that has been returned to her. She looks up at Sesshomaru passes, her jaw dropping in shock. Had he found it? Had he fished it out of the river?

_Had he gone swimming for it?_ Lee can't stop the image of Sesshomaru, his long silver hair soaked with water and drops streaming down his face and strong jaw, from flashing across her mind. A hot blush heats up her face and Lee quickly buries into her bag, taking a deep inhale of its simple smell of home.

"T-thank…you…" She mumbles out through a mouthful of bag, too embarrassed to look up and meet his gaze.

"Your scent was easy enough to follow. The river had not carried it much farther from where you were found."

This time, Lee does look up. In shock. He just spoke two sentences to her-a feat that required the use of more than two words. The underworld must be freezing over somewhere.

"Uh…"

Rin laughs, ignoring Lee's unintelligent response and dropping next to her on the sleeping bag. "Looks like you get to read your book now and you have your brush back."

Sesshomaru turns to stare at them across the campsite, the fire's warm light dancing across his face. Lee can't find the power to look away, her blush getting hotter than she's comfortable with. Rin begins to tug on the sleeve of Lee's blue kimono and she somehow pulls away from his intense gaze.

Lee tucks Rin in next to her before rolling over and staring off into the woods. She has to admit, it's nice not having to sleep on the bug infested ground, but she doesn't seem to really care now. Her mind is still reeling from Sesshomaru's gaze. Those golden eyes that have too much power within them, like he could read her every thought without even really trying; it scares her and Lee isn't used to the heat that is burning deep in her chest.

Taking deep breaths, Lee closes her eyes and tries to focus on sleep. Strangely enough, it comes, but it comes rather forcefully as if its taking over her with a mind of it's own.

_She finds herself alone in a world of complete darkness. Nothing is here. This place is full of nothing. There's no ground, no walls, no life…nothing. But she doesn't fall at all._

'Where am I?' _ Lee thinks. When her thoughts prove to get no answer, she calls out as if this dark world would give her some kind of answer if it can hear her voice. "Where am I?"_

"_**You're here.**__" A strange, but familiar voice answers. She's heard this voice from somewhere…_

"_Where's here?"_

"_**Does that matter? What matters is that I brought you here. Slowly I'm finding ways to connect to you. It's much easier to do when you're asleep.**__" The voice laughs, rather too mischievously for Lee's taste._

"_Who are you?"_

"_**Again, not important.**__"_

"_It's important to me!" Lee yells, fear filling her stomach._

"_**Stop that! Fear is a waste of time. You're not in any danger…Yet…**__"_

"_What do you mean by that?" Lee starts backing away from the voice, but it's hard to tell where it's coming from in this world of black. It seems to be coming from everywhere around her all at once._

"_**You shouldn't fear me. Only when I'm free should you really be starting to say your prayers.**__" The voice starts laughing, the sound getting louder and louder until Lee can hardly even hear herself think._

_She grabs her head, trying feebly to block out the noise, but it's like it's coming from inside her as well. "Stop it! Let me out!"_

"…ee? Lee?"

Lee tears open her eyes, her breath coming fast and her heart hammering in her chest, to find Rin staring down at her curiously.

"You were mumbling in you sleep. It's morning."

"Oh," Lee groans as she sits up, "Right, I'm sorry. You should've woken me up when you did."

"I did. I just woke up too." Rin climbs up and brushes her kimono smooth while Lee stretches the sleep out of her limbs. She feels like she's been asleep forever and her muscles ache as if they haven't been moved in ages. What was that weird dream all about?

Lee's eyes pop open. What had that dream been all about? She can't remember. _Weird_, she thinks.

She starts packing everything up while Rin goes to find something to eat on the other side of Aun's saddle, out of sight. Another moment later, Sesshomaru and Jaken return and Lee forcefully glues her eyes to the strings of the saddle. Here stands her vision from last night of a wet haired Sesshomaru right in front of her as real as the sunlight. She swallows hard.

_This is going to be one loooooong day._ Lee sighs heavily, closing her eyes for a moment to steady herself.

But it's a moment too long.

"AHH!" Rin lets out an ear piercing scream and Lee stretches on her toes to look over the saddle and find out what's wrong. She's just tall enough to see something long and slimy, like a snake's tail, comes shooting out of the black forest and wrap around Rin's small form before snatching her away.

"Rin!" Lee takes off, stumbling around Aun, racing into the woods, but Sesshomaru quickly outruns her in a blur. When she catches up, following the sounds of steel being drawn and strange high pitched shrilling, Lee finds Rin curled up in a tight ball in the middle of the clearing with her hands over her head as Sesshomaru and a large monster worm circling her like she's pray. The worm is covered in tough looking body armor and a thick mane stretching down from its head made up entirely of an eye ball. "Oh, ew!" Lee gags.

In a flash, Sesshomaru speeds forward and grabs Rin off the ground just as the worm slams its tail into the ground where she was once curled up. In the next second, Sesshomaru is skidding to a stop in front of Lee and handing the small Rin to her. Lee wraps the child close to her chest in her arms and stares down at her worriedly. A few cuts and scratches bruise her small face, but other than that Rin seems fine. Lee sighs in relief.

"Move you stupid human!" Jaken's cries snatch Lee's peaceful moment away and her eyes go wide in horror as the worm tears out of the ground at her feet. Lee and Rin are thrown through the air, their screams lighting up the already colorful morning, as the earth breaks from under them.

_Oh, God, no!_ Lee squeezes her eyes shut, waiting for the cold of death to come over her. She knows from this height and speed, if their bodies hit something as hard as say a tree, they wouldn't survive. _No, I won't let Rin die too._

Something in her burns, giving her the focus to locate each limb of her body and where the ground is and the strength to twist her body so that Rin is cradled against her in a way that she'd be safe from the ground when it hits them.

It comes like a solid brick wall, the forces driving her chin into her chest and sending a loud ringing into her ears. Her head throbs as her heart rattles in her chest from the blow. She can taste the coppery taste of blood in her mouth and she briefly wonders how many teeth she's lost.

_I can't keep doing this. I'm not made for all this._ Her thoughts begin to haze over, blurring into the darkness that begins to creep over her consciousness.

_**I am.**_

That voice…That impish laughter. Lee can feel that unknown fire burn through her again and feel something pulling her into that darkness again. And then all she knows is the warm cradle she lands in.

_**Relax. I've got this.**_

"Lee! Lee!" Rin nudges the older girl's body but there's no response. The bandages around her throat have been pulled loose and the wound beneath has begun to bleed once more. "Lord Sesshomaru!"

The white-haired demon lands beside them and Jaken comes waddling up behind. "My lord, leave the weakling. We can take care of this puny demon and be on our way. There's no need to take the girl to the village now since she's dead."

"No!" Rin's tiny voice becomes as loud as a roar. "No, she's not dead! Lee can't die. Lord Sesshomaru, please!"

There's another sound of the earth shattering again and they all turn to the armored snake that slithers from the dirt. Its giant eyeball studies them for a second and then shrieks.

Rin is about to scream, but something moves out of the corner of her eye. She turns just in time to see Lee's body convulse and then break to her feet in a flash. "Lee?!"

Sesshomaru's eyes streak to his right just as Lee lifts her gaze at the monster. They glow a brilliant green; like a blazing emeralds. She takes off, faster than any human he has ever seen move, and leaps into the air as she swings her arms out wide to her sides.

The voice that growls from her mouth is not hers, but it sends a wave of heat through Sesshomaru's body. "**BURN!**"

Bringing her hands slamming back together, a blazing red ripple slashes through the air and rips the armored snake apart like paper. The monster lets out a final painful cry as it blows away with the wind. Lee lands on her feet and stares off at the ashes of the defeated opponent in silence. Stillness settles into the clearing; no one dares to move a muscle as they all try to figure out what just happened. Rin is the first to move.

"Lee?" Her voice, small once more, floats over to the older girl who stands with her back to them. Lee's knees buckle and her body falls limply to the ground with a ghostly sigh. "LEE!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So to start off I want to, again, thank two very special readers of mine named **Aaron** and **StrengthHonorLove** for helping me to get over my writer's block and the threat of never finishing this story. And also to thank them for the excellent advice that has helped me to better my writing. Thank you both for everything.

As a reminder to all of my readers, if the chapters have titles (ex: chapter 1: Too Weird For Words) then that means it is an UPDATED chapter and new. If the chapters are without a title (ex.: Chapter 1) then they are OLD and haven't been redone yet.

I haven't yet gotten any word yet about the new chapters but I did get a new encouraging message from another of my readers. I want to thank you, **Angel-Of-Life1990**, for the awesome words. You really gave me a lot of inspiration. I really appreciate it.

Again, thanks so much to all my readers.

-KB


	8. Chapter 8: Pain, Pain, and More Pain

**Tears Left Uncried**

_**Raye**__: …I really hate you._

_**KB**__: What? _

_**Raye**__: What do you mean by 'what'? What kind of entrance was that?_

_**KB**__: At least you got one._

_**Raye**__: That was NOT an entrance. That was just me speaking to the toothpick._

_**Lee**__: I am not a toothpick._

_**Raye**__: *Stares at her* Have you looked in a mirror lately?_

_**Lee**__: *Face starts to turn red*_

_**KB**__: And that's my cue to say: Let the story commence! PLEASE!_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**Chapter 8:**

**Pain, Pain, and More Pain**

Lee doesn't know how to explain what the vibrating pain in her body feels like; only that it's painful beyond anything she's ever felt before in her life. Like fire and ice going to war through her blood, it eats her alive from the inside out-clawing at her heart, her throat, her skin. It's like hell is being born within her.

_Just stop this now. Please, whatever god is listening, just stop this. I can't handle this_, Lee screams deep within the darkest recesses of her mind. One minute she had been in her body, the next she had been pulled back away from the bodily pain and into a swirling vortex of heat and power that was unknown to her. And then, just as suddenly, whatever had taken her place in her own body, came hurling back into the vortex with her, a place not made for two souls, and she was forced back into her body where even more pain waited her. Now, she's left to float between consciousness and darkness as the agony knocks her about on the edge of the shadow world.

_Why me?!_

_**Listen**_, that voice, the one from deep inside her, whispers soothingly to her. If Lee doesn't know any better it almost sounds like the voice is trying to…help her.

_Listen? To what?_

_**They call to you.**_

_Huh?_ Lee dares to face the pain head on and pushes herself out of the limbo she's retreated to and the pain worsens. But there's more than that. Just faintly, she can hear humming. Voices, besides the one inside her. The voice so familiar it's scary.

They start out as simple murmurs, but then slowly Lee is able to break through the wall of shrieking torture throbbing in her physical essence frame and pull the voices towards her. She begins to feel then-what remains of her damaged body.

Everything is numb and yet heavy at the same time. Her head is throbbing from where she hit the ground, one whole side of her body is aching from the impact against the hard dirt, and just faintly she can feel the sting of numerous cuts and gashes across her whole form.

What else is new? She's always been a clutz. Bad luck made her awkward and clumsy.

Ever since coming here, it's like everything in this strange time period wants to kill her. It's like she's got a target on her forehead saying 'hey, here I am! A fleshy, weakling, human ripe for the killing!'

Yeah, her life is funny that way.

_**Just listen.**_

Lee is startled by the inner voice again. This time the voice is a bit stronger, echoing with a wave of warmth that she recognizes from the vortex she had been held in. Whoever it is must be pretty weak from whatever happened. She wants to ask the voice what's wrong, but her better judgment stops her.

_You idiot! Once you start talking to the voices in your head, then you'll really go insane. Just ignore them._

She swears she can hear a sarcastic scoff from the voice, but it settles back into its quiet state within her as if on command. Lee sighs in relief.

_Wait_, Lee thinks. _I just sighed. I'm still breathing!_

The knowledge makes her head spin in reprieve. Finally some good luck.

"….Lord…maru…"

_Huh?_ Lee snaps out of her thoughts. The new voice is small, like a child's, and so close to her. Lee identifies Rin's worried tone easily and almost smiles.

"Look! She moved!" Rin's voice exclaims merrily.

"Shut up, child!"

_Jaken._ Lee wants to roll her eyes.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Come see!" Rin ignores him.

Steps approach, first far off as if they're outside, and then coming towards her at a leisurely pace. They stop just at her head and there's a moment of absolute silence.

_Yep, that's him_, Lee almost groans.

Then more steps approach. "Is she awake?"

_Kagome!_ Lee fights to wake up, but something holds her into place.

_**Stop.**_

_What? No!_

…_**Just wait…**_

_Wait? Wait for what?_ Lee can feel her annoyance at the inner voice growing. This is her body. Not anyone else's. There's no way she's going to listen to an imaginary voice.

_**Imaginary, huh?**_

_Stop listening in on my thoughts!_

_**Kinda hard to when you're practically screaming them.**_

_Would you-? No! Stop, Lee. You are not crazy. You are you and no one else._ Even to Lee the words sound oddly false.

"Lee? Lee, can you hear me?" Kagome calls out to her.

Lee tries again to wake up, but there's something holding her down, keeping her in her unconscious state of being. Struggling against invisible chains, Lee tries to cry out. How can one be imprisoned in their own body? It's impossible.

_This is my body! Let me go_, Lee screams inwardly. Something snaps and she can feel herself suddenly floating to the surface, finally free.

It feels like she's moving up through the floor, merging into her body; one body part at a time. First she finds her eyelids and pries them open. They flutter heavily as if they haven't been moved in a hundred years.

"Lee!" Rin is leaning over her with tears in her eyes.

"Welcome back to the living world." Kagome smiles down at her.

Next she finds her mouth and pulls them apart to speak. Her lips stick together a bit, but they comply and her voice chokes out. "W..what…hap..pened?"

"A demon attacked!" Rin up and spills out. Over in another part of the room, Lee can just hear Jaken huff in irritation.

"Sesshomaru raced you here where we were. It's amazing how he picked up Inuyasha's scent from so far away." Kagome laughs. "How do you feel?"

With a few inaudible cracks of her neck, Lee moves her head slowly so that she can look straight up into his face. He stands at her head, arms crossed, and his silver hair flowing down his back like a white waterfall. Those golden eyes gaze down at her coolly, but she can just make out a glint of relief behind them. Her imagination perhaps? Lee swallows the dryness in her throat.

"I'm fine." She answers without looking away from him.

"Glad to hear, but I still want to make sure. I'll be right back with my medicine." Kagome stands up and leaves the room via a reed door and Lee moves her eyes away to get a good look around. They're in a small room, with a fire going in the fire pit in the center of the room. The warmth from the flame beats against her skin, but instead of simply just warming her, she can feel something pull the heat into her body.

_How strange._

The heat then melts, literally, through every fiber of her being until she feels it disappear deep within her to that place of power, the vortex, that's so foreign to her. The vortex swallows the heat greedily and Lee can feel its light strengthen a bit. Bizarrely, she wants to smile.

When Kagome returns, Sesshomaru and Jaken both leave while they redress the wounds across Lee's body. She finally gets a full-scale view of how badly she'd been hit. There's a massive bump on the back of her head, but Kagome said it wasn't life threatening, two gashes that resembled claw marks on her right calf, bruises lining the length of the side of her rib cage, and a bruise on her cheek. Other than that, Lee felt like crap.

_I hate my life_, she sighs.

"Well," Kagome claps her hands when she finishes, "I think it's safe to say that you're going to live."

"Yay." Lee tries to sound happy, but the sound comes out flat and sarcastic instead.

Kagome pats her shoulder gently as if the girl might break if she were to hit her too hard. "Don't sound so sad. You'll be better in no time. Kaede will take care of you when you reach her village, but make sure to tell her to give you plenty of rest. That you definitely need most of all."

Kagome grabs the box with the red 'X' on the side and leaves again, this time letting out a loud, "Sesshomaru! Did you hear me? Make sure Lee gets rest while you travel. You got that?!"

Lee shakes her head. The girl is wasting her breath on the demon; he listens to no one, especially a human. There's no way she's getting rest any time soon as long as she's with this company.

Rin grabs Lee's hand with a sniffle. "Are you sure you're feeling better?"

Lee stares at the young child's worried expression and the tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. Her heart leaps into the back of her throat. How can anyone not love this kid? Lee wrap her up in a tight hug, or one that her sore body will allow without breaking out into another painful attack, and kisses her head. "Yes, sister, I'm just fine. Better now that I know you're okay."

"Of course I'm okay! You saved me." Rin sniffles again, rubbing her face into Lee's shoulder and curling up against her uninjured side. "If I didn't have you and Lord Sesshomaru, I would've been killed along with my family a long time ago."

Lee smiles and just hugs that girl against her. She never thought she'd adopt a kid as her sibling, but she loved Rin just as much as she loved her little sister back home. _They'd get along great_, Lee ponders silently.

It's then that Lee opens her eyes again, the day-dream vanishing instantly. It's not like her two sisters could ever meet. They're both from different time periods. Can Lee really claim two sisters in those conditions? Does she have the right?

It wouldn't be fair.

If she kept one, she'd have to give up the other.

The thought sickens her and Lee squeezes her eyes shut tightly against the flood of guilt that rushes onto her heart. How could she give up someone she loves?

* * *

**Author's Note**

_**Raye:**_ _Ah, geez, here it comes._

_**KB:**__ Shut up, Raye, and go back to your…vortex…prison…thingy._

_**Raye:**__ …_

_**Lee:**__ …Oh, yeah, nice come back. *Shakes her head*_

_**KB:**__ Both of you shut up!_

_**KB:**__ Hi to all my readers! This is a NOTICE/RESPONSE to a review I just recently got that wasn't a review at all. It said that 'someone else did a story almost exactly like this'. Well, yes, it's true. While my good friend Aaron is doing a RE-WRITE of my story using his own characters, the story is originally mine. Just thought I'd clear that up for everyone. I've personally read Aaron's version and I'd have to say that it is LOADS better than mine…even with my newly updated chapters…So, yeah, just thought I'd throw that out there. Have a nice day!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Okay, now I know the story will get more interesting! In this next chapter, the story does a total turn! Lee gets attacked (go figure...) and is pushed around by one nasty perverted demon! Also, things take a twist for Lee and Sesshomaru too, so stick around!_

_Raye also lends a hand too, revealing that she may have a much more closer connection to Lee than we thought!_

_Here ya go!_

_(AN: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are not mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their storylines!)_

_-KB_

Chapter 9-

The next day, Lee tries to walk and Rin makes a big fuss over it.

"I'm fine really." Lee tries to say, but the girl already skips out of the room.

Lee shakes her head and stands to her feet slowly, wincing a few times at the slight pulls in her side. Once to her feet, she goes to the door, forgetting her cramped shoe, and lifts the reed flap. The action sends pain shooting up her side!

Before she can fall over, a strong arm grabs her, wrapping around her waist and stopping her decent.

"If you're well enough to walk, then we'll be leaving." He responds sternly.

"I'm fine." She replies stubbornly through her teeth.

"No you are not."

He drags her back into the room and she struggles in his grasp until he stops. Oddly, he doesn't remove his arm and this confuses her. Something Inuyasha had said this morning comes back to her.

"_Sesshomaru hates humans, so I don't understand why he keeps you and Rin around._"

The second the memory crosses her mind, Lee pulls out of his grip and heads back towards the door. "I can walk by myself."

As she approaches the reed flap again, his hand reaches forward from behind her and holds it open for her. She stops in surprise for a second before continuing on through.

Coming down the road, Rin tows Aun by the reign and presses that Lee should use him as a balance in case she starts to fall. Sesshomaru and Jaken disappear again, which doesn't surprise Lee one bit and Rin leads her into town. They stop on top of a small bridge and Lee sits herself on the ledge wall to rest while Rin runs off into a nearby shop.

"Well, at least it's nice out." Lee suggests.

At her feet, Aun grumbles in agreement.

Not a second later, an object falls into her lap.

"Oof! Huh?" She glances down at the package. Sesshomaru drops some other things into the saddle bags on Aun's back. "Thank you?"

His long silver hair hides his face from her view, so she forgets it and opens the present. Inside is another kimono. It's the same as the one she has only this one is _clean_!

"Yay!" Lee whispers under her breath with relief. Finally, she can have fresh clothes.

"We'll stay one more night, but tomorrow we leave." Sesshomaru instructs.

Lee barely hears him over her own thoughts. '_Clean, clean, clean!_'

As scheduled, they leave in the morning, but not before Kagome and her company does. Lee hated to say goodbye to her friends and already she misses them.

Around midday, they stop at the river and Rin helps Jaken catch fish. Lee goes off to find wood for the fire in the nearby woods. These woods aren't as thick as all the others had been, but Lee still refuses to go that far into them. Every little sound has her jumping like a child.

"Jeez, calm down, Lee." She leans against a tree to rest and closes her eyes against the sun beams that break through the tree tops. Birds sing far away, but they seem to be going farther into the distance. After a few breaths, she opens her eyes and pushes away from the tree. "Whoa."

A thick fog crawls slowly through the air around her. This surprises her. She knows it's too hot for fog and that it hasn't rained in a while. Shrugging she forgets it, remembering that this is the feudal era where all the weird things are, and walks back towards camp.

"My Lord, look!" Rin exclaims, holding up her catch. "I caught a lot!"

"My catch is much bigger!" Jaken argues, holding up his bunch too.

Sesshomaru glances at them, but doesn't acknowledge. Rin and Jaken get busy placing the fish onto their roasting sticks and everything goes quiet for a long time.

"Um…Lord Sesshomaru? Where's Miss Lee? Has she not returned?" Rin looks up, worry pinching her face.

"The pest is probably still looking for wood. She's so slow." Jaken grumbles.

Suddenly, a dark cloud rises over them.

"Look!"

"Such a dark aura!" Rin gasps.

Sesshomaru stands up, staring intently at the darkness.

They all remain motionless. Not one of them breathes. It's like they all know something.

"Miss Lee went that way…" Rin whispers in horror.

Within a second, Sesshomaru is gone.

Lee struggles against the demon's hold! His arms wrap tightly around her, crushing into her wound! She gasps at the pain!

"Keep that up, little one. I need more of your despair, more of your pain, more of your fear." He says, his blue cat-like eyes glowing in triumph. "You should blame yourself for coming into my territory. Now you'll die mine."

His tongue slides seductively up the side of her neck and she lurches in disgusted.

He laughs huskily. "More." His lips fall onto her neck and bite down. His fangs pierce and freeze her body!

"No…stop!" She growls weakly through her teeth. Suddenly, she can't see! She can only see his hypnotic eyes glowing through the darkness of her mind!

Abruptly, those strong arms turn to vines and start to creep all over her body, sliding around each leg, slipping under her kimono, and around her chest! Lee can no longer move! His power has her frozen! She's alone, she has no way of screaming, and she's too entrapped to even fight!

She can only keep track of all he does to her body. His lips are sucking at her neck urgently now, drawing out her energy now tainted with her fear and pain. It's leaving her weaker and weaker! He comes up for air, gasping heavily and greedily. His laugh is dark and seductive which only sends a new wave of fright rushing through her and a shiver across her skin.

He feels this and his voice pours hot and thick into her ear. "I promise you a painful death, but don't worry. I'll try to make it as quick as possible, but first I need more. You are rather full of pain and fear for a human. I haven't had this much in years." His breath comes quicker. "Still, I need more!"

He drops her to the ground and lies out across Lee's body, wrapping a vine across her mouth! Another vine, she can feel, slithers tighter around her leg.

_**I'm about sick of this fool!**_

'_You…_' Lee thinks through the fog and darkness.

_**I'm here.**_

The voice sounds almost comforting. '_Please, help me!_'

In answer, that strange warmth from before breaks loose from deep inside her and tears out from her body, throwing the demon and his slimy vine arms away from her! The trance over her burns away and is replaced by a new strong energy that fuels her body!

_**Run!**_

Lee jumps to her feet and races away into the fog for her life! She has no idea where she's going, but she doesn't care. She'll keep running and stay away from that demon! The fog is deep and she feels like she just keeps running in circles. Where is the river? What happened to the sun? Is there even a way out of this nightmare?

Echoing all around her, that slimy voice laughs after her. "Run all you like, love. No one has ever escaped my dungeon of fear. You'll either die running or die in my grasp."

"Ugh, just leave me alone! Go find someone else! I don't like you that way and I won't die being raped by you!" Lee growls.

His laugh is dark again.

The fog deepens!

'_Oh crap!_' Lee cringes.

Out of nowhere, she runs into a body! The demon's body! The second her eyes land on him, it's his eyes that she sees!

"No!" She tries to pull away, but strong hangs cling tight to her wrist. She struggles, turning away and using her weight to try to free herself. The hands don't move. They don't change. They don't tighten. If anything, they actually seem to loosen! Lee turns to stone and looks up.

Sesshomaru!

She doesn't have anything to say. She falls into his chest and clings to him, relief washing over her colder than icy water!

"Ah, so here you are." That dreaded voice chuckles.

Gasping, Lee turns and watches as the demon fades into view. His arms have returned to normal. His eyes, though, still glow a bright icy blue.

Lee cringes away from those eyes and buries her face into the folds of his kimono, not really caring that the spike of his armor is resting against the side of her neck.

"I see this is your mate, demon. I guess I'll have to kill you if I want to get to her."

"I have no need for those emotions, but if you wish to harm the girl you will have to deal with me." Sesshomaru responds. He moves Lee behind him and he goes to draw his sword.

"Draw it and she dies." The demon smiles evilly.

His hand stops.

"You see, I have a spell on her. And as long as it remain, I can harm her whether she's in my possession or not." He raises a hand and flips a finger.

Lee lets out an ear piercing scream! Something under her skin snaps and all across her body her skin rips open in gashes as if someone is attacking her with a knife! Blood is thrown from the wounds!

She drops to the ground once it stops, gasping from the pain!

The demon throws his head back and laughs in triumph.

Then it ends.

Sesshomaru turns into a blur, moving forward, and his hand locks closed around the demon's neck.

"I'm tired of your childish tricks. You should have left when you had the chance." His voice is expressionless as his palm turn a sickening green and starts to sizzle!

The demon starts to scream in agony and struggle unsuccessfully to free him self. Within seconds he burns to a crisp in a poisonous death!

Lee stares in shock as Sesshomaru shakes off pieces of debris off his hand. He turns back to her and drops down beside her, grabbing her arm to examine her cuts. Already that strange feeling under her skin is evaporating.

"I-I'm fine. These aren't that deep, so they should heal in a few days. I'll be okay until then." Why she rambles, Sesshomaru has lowered his face close to her fore arm and she abruptly feels his tongue against her skin! At first, she wants to pull back when the memory of the demon's tongue on her neck flashes across her mind, but then a quick flash of pain washes the memory away! "Agh! Ow! Stop!" She snaps, pulling her arm away. "Why does that hurt so badly?"

"It's healing at a rapid pace. Stop moving." He answers simply. His voice is lower than usual. He grabs her arm back and goes to the next gash on her upper arm. His tongue moves quickly, skillfully, slowly. All she can seem to focus on is the pain. She tries to hold in her gasps and groans of pain, but some of them slip through her teeth. With out warning, he pulls her forward until she's up against him and her hands grab onto his shoulders to stop herself, but she doesn't have time to argue before his tongue is taking care of the cuts across her chest. His arm is around her back, pulling on the neck of her kimono so that it falls away from around her shoulders. His work is short. His hands are stern and his hold is rough. He's not taking his time to be careful; he doesn't take the time to be gentle. Next his tongue takes over her neck, healing the deepest gash just above her collar bone. By now the stinging has a tear escaping the corner of her eye, but she wipes it away quickly before it can affect her.

Sesshomaru grabs her around the back of her neck and heals the cut above her eye and across her cheek. This is too close for Lee. His breath is too warm, too intense.

She presses a hand against his chest and pushes away. She almost falls, but his hold returns to her waist, holding her against him.

"Enough. I said I was fine. Don't…not anymore…" Her voice breaks on a few of her words. She can't force out anymore of her voice. Her body is shivering now, an odd feeling surging through her, warming her skin. Heat touches her cheeks.

He doesn't move for a second, but finally pulls her to her feet and holds her up by her arm until she's steady. The fog around them has vanished, but they hardly notice. He leads her through the trees.

"Rin is worried." Is all he says.

She stares confused at his back for a long moment, then turns her eyes down at herself. All those cuts and gashes are nothing but thin pink lines now, well on their way to healing completely. She nearly gasps, but all she can really remember is the way his hands had felt, the way his touch had her skin burning in a heat she's never felt.

"Kay." She answers softly.

They head out of the forest, the sun returning to light their way.

_Again, I'm hating that I made this a romance! I can't stand all this mushy crap, but then again, I just love torturing my characters; and even Sesshomaru, even though I don't own him...WAGH!_

_Soooo? How'd ya like this chapter? Enough fluff and Sesshy for ya? No, well then keep reading 'cause it's going to get a lot more fluffly...hopefully...it depends if my sanity stays in one piece._

_Please read and review! (But please don't be hateful :D )_


	10. Chapter 10

_Okay, back again! This chapter I wanted to bring Raye more into the story. I know she's been sitting on the side lines a little too long._

_Raye: Ya think?_

_Okay! I'm sorry! Anyhoo, this chapter is mostly just Raye and Lee getting to know each other, revealing a little more about their situation and how it came to be, and then there's also a special story for Rin and Lee to share, which is strangely familiar...hmm._

_Moving on, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please bare with me about the shortness of the chapters._

_(AN: The characters/story line of Inuyasha are not mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines!)_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_Chapter 10-

That night, Lee sits up on her sleeping bag, unable to sleep. Her thoughts are racing too fast for her to rest. She glances around at all the sleeping forms around her. Rin and Jaken lean up against Aun's belly and the dragon beast itself breathes deeply in slumber with them. Her eyes finally land on Sesshomaru, hidden a little ways behind a tree a short distance away. His eyes are closed and his chest rises and falls rhythmically. Lee doesn't have to wonder, she knows he's asleep. She had watched him up until now. At first it didn't seem like he was breathing at all, but after a long hour (Lee had counted the seconds and minutes) those breaths became visible and slow.

She looks away from him and stares into the fire. The flames dance and twirl around in a dance as old as time. Right now, Lee wishes that she could sink into that dance and just disappear. Then she probably wouldn't be so…confused.

Memories of how he had touched her, how he had held her, still plague her thoughts. They refuse to leave or even fade into normal memories. They're too sharp and clear and concentrated. They scare her a little which only makes her confusion worse.

Closing her eyes, she tries to reach deep inside herself and find that strange voice that had stayed with her and helped her. Something shifts and a bright light flashes!

_**Come to talk to me, have you?**_

'_Thank you for helping me. You saved my life._'

_**That was nothing. Lower demons like that fool are easy to take care of. If it was this easy for you to connect with me, then we must be getting closer to each other. Pretty soon, we'll be able to talk to each other all the time.**_

'_Why are you inside me? Where did you come from?_'

The voice doesn't answer her, but already Lee can tell the voice is female.

_**I'm not really sure how I came to be here inside you. The last thing I remember is hiding from some lousy humans and then suddenly I'm engulfed in something. The next thing I know, I wake up here, trapped inside you.**_

'_I trapped you! You were that woman I saw when I was sucked into that sacred tree! I saw you from behind when I was being pulled through that space. I passed right through you as if you weren't there at all. Wait! You were hiding from humans? Why?_'

_**You passed through the tree? I didn't know it was sacred. I had stolen a few jewel shards from a village of humans and they came after me. I didn't know where to go, so I hide in the tree to wait them out. Well, this really clears up a lot. Now that I know this information, I guess we should get acquainted. My name is Raye.**_

'_I'm Lee._'

_**Well Lee, I guess until we find a way to get us separated, we'll have to help each other out.**_

'_Wait, you'd help me? Why? I'm just a human. And by the way you talk about them I'm going to assume you're a demon._'

_**You assume correct, Lee. And I'm going to help you because I have a sneaky suspicion that if something happens to you, I'll be suffering too. I know that sounds kind of self-centered, so I'm sorry about that. But since you're the one in control of the body, then you'll have to help me too.**_

'_Um…okay…_'

_**Don't speak of me to anyone. If someone finds out you harbor a demon inside of you, they may think you're possessed and they may consent to kill you. Another thing, since we are growing closer to each other, my powers may affect you too. For example, the other night when you threw the fire after getting mad at someone.**_

'_I…_**threw**_…fire? When was I mad at somebody?_'

_**Yes. I don't know the specifics, only that you were mad and then said something about 'trying to be nice'? Anyway, moving on. My abilities are based on my mood, so be careful about letting your emotions get too…strong. I think that's all for tonight. I'm tired. Try to keep your thoughts quiet because I can see them too, ya hear?**_

'_Wait! I have more questions! Like: what kind of demon are you?_'

A fading laugh chuckles through the darkness inside me.

_**A Nine-tailed Fox demon.**_

Her voice disappears and Lee opens her eyes letting out a deep sigh in shock.

'_A fox demon…_'

* * *

Morning comes. Lee sits up wide awake. She got a total of maybe two hours of sleep last night. After her talk with her indoor comrade, she sat up thinking over their conversation until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore.

She helps Rin pack up camp and the little girl catches her expression.

"Miss Lee? You look…different this morning? Did you get a good night sleep or something?" She asks with a small giggle.

"Yeah, sure." Lee plasters a fake smile on her face, remembering that she's not supposed to say anything about Raye.

"That's good. You went through a rough day yesterday. How are your arms?" She grabs the left one to check the pink lines and Lee lifts up the right one.

The pink lines are barely visible anymore. The only scars she has now are the two parallel white lines crossing over her forearm from those men she met on her first day here. The frayed ends of the whip had split open her skin deeper than she thought and now they would be shown for the rest of her life. Silently she wonders if they'll be there when she goes home…if she goes home.

Her fingers trace over the twin scars slowly, remembering their cause. Sesshomaru steps up beside her, throwing the saddle over Aun's back and ignoring her. She doesn't register his presence until his body stops moving. She looks up into his face, feeling that odd warmth threatening to touch her cheeks again. He doesn't look at her. His golden eyes stare at the scars she touches for a long moment. She wonders for a second if he's just zoned out and thinking about something else, but then he starts to turn towards her and she flinches, that confusion resurfacing.

He freezes in response, then turns and walks away. Rin follows after him with her eyes before glancing back at Lee in curiosity.

"Move girl!" Jaken snaps, using his staff to push Rin along.

Rin laughs as he chases after her when she takes his staff away. Lee follows them with her eyes and a small smile on her face.

'_They get along so well._' She thinks.

Jaken trips and falls over with a yell and Rin dances around him singing 'I win, I win!' and laughing while she does. Getting annoyed, Jaken jumps to his feet and takes off after her once again. They continue the chase as the group travels on.

Later that morning, a storm races over them and for the first time since coming here, Lee gets to see it rain. They wait under thick leaved trees until the rain lessens and they find big leave to carry over their heads like umbrellas. Sesshomaru doesn't though. He walks through it like it doesn't touch him, but eventually he's soaked with water. Lee can take it no more, so she goes to walk behind him, sharing her leaf shelter with him. He turns his head a little in her direction, but then turns back.

"Do not bother." He says.

"Too late." She says, mocking his tone.

He glances at her out of the corner of his eye. She grins playfully at the road ahead of her. She's surprised that his stare doesn't affect her like it had before anymore. Now it just stirs that warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. As they come over the hill, they stop. Rin halts beside Lee and stares too, but her quick stop has Jaken running into her from behind and falling over.

Below them at the bottom of the hill is the large corpse of a large demon. Well, it's skeleton anyway.

"Ugh." Lee mumbles. Around it are other smaller demons that are still…fleshy.

"Wow! Look at all the demons." Rin says in amazement.

Lee glances at the child in shock. How many corpses does she see in a day with Sesshomaru leading her around? Shaking her head, she turns back and finds Sesshomaru gone, walking down the hill towards the battle ground.

"Wait for me, my Lord!" Jaken cries. Rin follows after them.

Shaking her head again, Lee sighs and follows too, only slowly. By the time she approaches, Sesshomaru is leaning down near one of the smaller demons and then a terrible crunching noise splits into the air!

Lee lurches away from the noise. Rin grabs her hand and together they turn away.

"Lord Sesshomaru needs a new arm." She mumbles.

"New what now?" Lee exclaims. She spins back around to find out what she meant.

Sesshomaru stands holding the demon limb onto what's left of his arm! It's cut off! Why hadn't she realized? Her eyes go wide in shock and terror. Within a second, the new arm sews itself onto his flesh and he raises it as if it's been there forever! It moves like any normal appendage, besides the fact that the deep blue scaly skin is completely opposite of his smooth pale skin and that he's got a human form and the demon…didn't. The hand has three fingers and a single thumb which is weird, but at least it wasn't a vine or something worse. Lee shivers. The arm is also just a tad bit bigger than his other arm, but you'd really have to look to catch the size difference. His kimono sleeve falls over it and he looks up to stare into her eyes.

No emotion resides in those golden eyes.

"Well, if you're better now, can we go? The rain's drenching us to the bone." Lee says, looking away at Rin.

"Don't rush my Lord, pest!" Jaken snaps at her.

The recent event wipes clean from her mind and is replaced by annoyance. Lee takes the weird two-headed staff away from Rin and whacks the imp upside the head with it, then hands it back to Rin who laughs.

Growling under her breath, Lee walks away back towards the road where Aun waits. The rain picks up again and Lee lowers the leaf closer to her head to keep her head dry if possible. They continue down the road until Sesshomaru leads them down to a water hole with a water fall.

"Are we resting here, my Lord?" Jaken asks, but his master doesn't answer. Rin dances around the cavern in excitement. Lee collapses on top of a nearby rock in exhaustion and sighs.

'_I wonder how Raye is doing._' She thinks to herself.

_**Just fine thanks.**_

'_I thought you'd be listening._' Lee smiles.

_**Yep. I'm doing just fine. Although, I can do without all this rain.**_

Lee chuckles under her breath.

"I want in on the joke!" Rin exclaims, climbing up onto the rock beside her. Lee jumps in surprise.

"Oh, there's no joke. I was just thinking of…a story." Lee stumbles.

"Ooh! I like stories!" She turns towards Lee and waits with wide eyes.

At first Lee is confused. "Wait. You want me to tell it?"

"Yes please!"

This throws Lee. What could she tell her? She doesn't know any stories off the top of her head. That's when she decides.

"Well, this is actually a true story." Lee starts, turning to stare out into the rain. "Not too long ago, far away from here, there was a…small fox. She was smaller than all the other foxes and that caused her to be shunned and made fun of, but she refused to cry. She had always believed she wasn't pretty because no one liked her. She always liked to read while all the other foxes just wanted to play. She was always alone, always by herself. Then, one day, something happened to the small fox that she would never forget. She…fell into a different world…inside one of her books. She woke up to find herself surrounded by many scary…hunters…who wanted to hurt her. She ran from them, but fell into a river. She became scared because she couldn't swim and eventually fell unconscious. All couldn't be worse for the small fox. Nothing good ever happened for her, so she always blamed it on herself, but when she woke up, she found herself in the presence of new beings. She quickly became friends with the little kitten and…" Lee pauses here and glances over at Jaken who stares off into the waterfall. "And the big mouthed…frog. They took care of her until she was better and they always told her stories of their other friend, a great mighty dog who reigned over many dog houses. She finally met the great dog who she had always pictured to be kind and caring, but he was cold and stern. His eyes were always too intense and scary, his words always cut through everyone, and his touch always confused the small fox. She didn't know if she could be friends with someone so…frightening, but she had seen that he was far stronger than any of the other dogs in the western town. Try as she might, she fought to figure him out and to learn about him so that she could see if they could be friends and everyday it seemed to become harder. But she didn't give up and she used the strength from her other new friends to keep her strong enough to carry on." Lee stops the story.

Rin blinks a couple of times. "Why did you stop?"

"Because that's all I can tell you for now."

"What? Why?" Rin whines.

Lee just laughs.

During the story, she hadn't noticed that Jaken had moved closer and that Sesshomaru had seated himself facing them with his eyes closed. They had both been listening whether they wanted to show it or not. Lee smiles.

"Will you tell me more of it tomorrow night?" Rin bounces, impatient for Lee's attention.

"Sure thing." Lee promises.

The rain comes to a slow stop and they come out of the cavern. The world outside seems to come alive with new life. The grass reaches out to the sky, the frogs bounce with new found energy around the water hole, and birds dance in the sky. The only thing that dampens the whole scene is the remaining dark clouds that fill the sky with no end in sight.

By the end of the day, they stop for the day by the river. Jaken makes the fire and Rin helps Lee unload Aun's saddle. The dragon lays down to rest and within seconds he's asleep, snoring softly. Night falls and Lee slips into the river. The water's cold, but not to the point where it's uncomfortable. She sets her towel up on the rock above the water's surface and sinks low until the water is up to her nose. The small waterfall nearby is only two feet tall, but it's big enough to stir up the water near it. Lee floats over to the rapids and lets the waterfall pour over her head. Sometimes nature is wonderful.

She closes her eyes and allows her worries to wash away. Her body is sore and tight. Her eyes drift over her skin where dozens of gashes and cuts had once been, but now her skin is smooth and clean. This only sharpens those memories she has been trying to push away. The feel of his touch still lingers on her skin and the memory sends goose bumps over her body.

Lee shakes her body and swims back over to the shallows to grab the soap Kagome had given her. For the next half hour, she scrubs herself clean until she smells of nothing, but lavender. The scent has her breathing deeply and smiling. Lavender isn't her favorite, but at least she doesn't smell like dirt and blood. With a sigh she returns to the waterfall and lets it wash out the shampoo. Lee wishes now that she had gotten some conditioner too.

A twig snaps nearby and she ducks quickly below the water level. Her eyes land on him as if he'd been there all along. He sits quietly on the nearby rock, staring absentmindedly into the dark water where the stars above are reflected back at the sky.

"Do you mind?" She asks shakily.

"Why didn't you finish your story?" He asks ignoring her.

"Eh?"

He doesn't respond. Why does he care about her story?

"Because…I have to wait for it to continue." I answer.

"You said that…the fox is trying to understand the dog. Why does the she want to?"

"Why do you want to know?" She shoots back annoyed. Here she is trying to take a bath and he just sits there like she's invisible and asks her questions like he actually cares.

"Your story vexes me. You leave questions unanswered. Stories are not supposed to end that way." He picks up her towel and holds it out for her over the water.

Lee wades over slowly, thinking it's a trick, and reaches out for the cover. At first her hand hovers there right next to it, waiting for him to do something, but then she snatches it quickly and holds it above the water to keep it dry. He doesn't turn even a little to give her some privacy. Perfect.

She waits for a moment to make sure he doesn't take the chance to look then moves to get out. His voice has her lowering back into the water quickly.

"Stories are supposed to have good or bad endings. Yours has no ending at all." He doesn't move an inch as he talks. This is really starting to get on her nerves.

"If you promise to keep staring forward, then I'll answer your question."

He just nods, not moving his eyes.

Lee waits again to see if he'll keep his promise then quickly jumps out and wraps the towel around her body tightly. She can see her clothes on the rock next to him, but she doesn't move to go get them. There's no way she wants to be near him after the recent events.

"Why does the dog confuse the fox?" He asks again, getting up and grabbing her clothes as well. He walks towards her and hands them to over. She snatches them away.

"First off, a story can't have an ending if there's no ending to it yet. I'm waiting for the ending to happen. Second, the fox is confused…by the dog's actions. That's all. His actions just confuse her. She doesn't know why. Anything else?" Lee growls.

"No."

"Goody. Now can I have some privacy so I can change?"

He starts to walk away, but he stops to ask one last questions. "Rin says you were in an accident. Is that where that scar came from?"

"AGH! You said you wouldn't look!" Lee screams!

"The deal was that I would keep looking forward. You said nothing about peripheral vision." He walks away.

"You…DOG!" She yells after him. Heat rips up her body to her face!

* * *

_I just had to end this on a joke! I thought it was funny, but my friends tell me that I have a bad sense of humor...wow. Well, here ya go and I'll try to have the next chapter up soon. As you can probably tell, I have a lot of free time and no computer to waste it on...Lol!_

_Please read and review! (But please don't be hateful :D )_


	11. Chapter 11

_Okay, this chapter was waaaaaay too fluffy for my taste. I had to have a friend of mine help me come up with ideas for it; that and she ended up writing most of the fluffy scene herself because I just got tired of it and annoyed all at the same time. She got a good laugh out of that though, so I guess everyone's happy._

_This chapter is a little, and I emphasize __little__, graphic, so if you're below the age of 18 then please skip to the next chapter. I'm just going to say something inappropriate __almost__ happens between Sesshomaru and Lee, but Sesshomaru actually shows his gentleman's side in the end. You're not going to miss a thing and besides, the next chapter is a whole lot more interesting anyway! So just think of it this way: you'll be a chapter ahead of everyone else! :D_

_Please read and enjoy (all of you who are above 18 years of age)!_

_(AN: The characters/story line of Inuyasha are not mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines!)_

_-KB_

Chapter 11-

Lee lets out an angry exhale again. Since last night she's glared at him and either let out angry exhales or grumbles of complaints. Right now, she consents to glare daggers at his back, wishing they were real. Why did he confuse and frustrate her so much? It's like all those years of mocking and hurtful words from her classmates had been mosquito bites compared to his rabid dog bites and he's only talking to her! He's not using hurtful terms or picking on her at all!

Lee exhales sharply again.

"Would you shut up, child?" Jaken finally spins around and orders.

Out of nowhere, a strong gust of wind rips through the air and blows everyone to a stop, pulling at their clothes and hair.

"My Lord, it's-!" Jaken is cut off and Lee gasps the second she reopens her eyes and finds Sesshomaru landing beside her very close and pushing her to the ground by her head!

"Hey!" She argues.

Sesshomaru leans down close to her when she tries to turn over and climb to her feet. His lips hover right beside her ear and his hair brushes over his shoulder, falling over her like a blanket.

"Stay quiet." He says bluntly. After his short sentence, he stands back up and takes a few steps away from her position.

The wind comes to a halt and a female's voice enters area. "Well, if it isn't Sesshomaru; the great Dog Demon Lord of the western lands. How's it going?"

"The wind sorceress. My Lord, shall I take care of her?" Jaken suggests lifting his staff.

Lee glances carefully through the grass over to the group of people standing about three yards away. Sesshomaru is standing in front of her with Jaken not far off to his side. Beyond them is a woman with her dark brown hair pulled high into a pony-tail with white feathers sticking out of it. Her purple and white kimono flows down to her feet and a closed fan lies casually down at her side in her right hand. She smiles slyly at Sesshomaru as if she has blackmail on him, but other than that, she shows no hint of friendliness. Her body is rigid as she stands on guard, her eyes are wary as she waits for an attack at any minute, and her feet don't move to come any closer towards them. She's keeping her distance, but she knows them by name.

"Shut up, foolish creature." She snaps back at Jaken. "This matter does not concern you."

Lee glances over at Aun who hisses quietly at the woman and Rin who sleeps unknowing on the dragon's back.

"You must know why I'm here. I want you to kill Naraku." The woman tells him.

Lee nearly gasps out loud. Where had she heard that name before? Naraku? It sounds so familiar…

"_We're on the trail of Naraku right now!_"

That's right! Inuyasha had said that name before when they had met. Who's Naraku?

"If you want him dead, then kill him yourself. In the meantime, which way is his castle?" Sesshomaru speaks again. His voice is colder than usual. A breeze picks up gently, but this one is normal so Lee doesn't pay any attention to it.

The woman suddenly goes stiff. "What the hell is that?" She flashes a fast glare towards the grassy area where Lee hides. "A human?" She raises the hand holding the fan and swings it swiftly out in front of her. A blast of bluish wind blows straight at Lee and she can see the sharpness of it! Her scream tears out into the air.

Sesshomaru goes into a blur and wraps an arm around Lee's waist, picking her up and moving quickly again to avoid the quick attack! They land about half a mile away and he moves her behind him again.

"Naraku will be surprised to hear that a great demon like you is harboring yet another human." The woman pulls out a feather from her hair and throws it into the air. In a blast of wind she disappears and flies off on a huge feather through the sky!

"Sorry." Lee sighs. She can never do anything right.

"It was the wind." Jaken argues.

Lee turns to him and stares in disbelief. Had he just defended her?

"We shall be in the village tonight." Sesshomaru states.

Night comes fast and the inn keeper leads them to their rooms. Rin would have a small room to herself between Lee's and Sesshomaru. Jaken would share a room with him, partly because he refused to be anywhere out of Sesshomaru's sight.

On the way into her room, Lee spots a walk way leading behind the inn and she closes her room door to go and check it out. It leads into a beautiful garden with flowers of all kind lining and growing up the gates that surround it. In the center is a small fountain and pool of water. The water is as clear as the blue sky in the morning.

"Wow." Lee breathes, squatting down beside the pool. Two fish, one black and one white, swim around in a dance all their own and drift closer to her finger when she touches the surface of the pool. Ripples dance across the pool at her touch and light flashes across the bottom of the fountain in rainbows. The oasis has her speechless. She had only seen something like this in big cities, only those fountains had had plants planted around it. These flowers grow here wildly and with no care in the world. Their colors mix and blend in no particular pattern. Birds and butterflies fly in and out of the garden at will, not having to worry about disruptions from anyone. Lee sits down on the grass and decides to take a breather from the rest of the group, but not soon after, Rin comes skipping into the garden.

"Wow!"

"Yeah, I said that too." Lee smiles.

"It's so pretty. Look at that butterfly!" Rin points towards a nearby bush.

Lee follows her finger and spots the insect. It's a solid black with a deep blue painted onto its wings. "I like that one."

"Me too." She agrees, sitting down next to Lee. A gentle wind comes to sweep the grass around them as they sit in silence. "Miss Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you mad at Lord Sesshomaru?" The small girl stares at the blade of grass she twiddles in her fingers.

"I'm not mad at him…much." Lee answers, glaring into the water.

"But you are mad at him, though."

She doesn't answer right away. "Yeah."

"Why?"

"He's just such a…" She stops herself before she says something she'll regret later. "He's too…confusing. He's too harsh and blunt. He doesn't know anything about people's feelings. He doesn't even try to be kind when I know he can be." Lee lies down on the grass and looks intently at the sky.

Hidden behind the corner of the building, he turns away from the conversation and walks away from them.

Later that night, as Lee comes back from the baths dressed in her clean kimono, she stops a few paces just down the walk way from his room. She sighs.

'_Maybe I should say goodnight to everyone before I go to sleep. If I don't they'll think I'm sick or something worse. I don't want Rin to start worrying._' She thinks.

Rin and Jaken usually go to Sesshomaru's room to talk of their plans whenever they stay at inns, so Lee's sure that they'll be in there by now. They wouldn't skip out on a meeting, even though Rin doesn't really help in the planning process. She normally just agrees a lot and asks a bunch of questions. Jaken just agrees with everything Sesshomaru says.

Lee sighs again before heading to his door and knocking. No one answers, but she can hear someone shift inside. She waits for another moment, thinking maybe someone is coming to get the door, but no one comes. She doesn't even hear Rin's voice.

'_They're ignoring me? No way! Rin wouldn't do that!_'

Grinding her teeth, she slides the door open stubbornly. Her eyes open wide in shock.

He sits on the floor with no expression on his face, he looks almost bored, and a woman sits in his lap with her hands all over his chest and brushing his kimono towards the edge of his shoulders. She nuzzles her painted lips into his neck and whispers something in his ear with a giggle. The sight has Lee confused at first, but then the woman looks up from her work.

"Who is this human? A friend of yours, my Lord?" She asks in a deep voice.

Lee shifts her gaze and spots the woman's pointed ears. She's a demon prostitute!

"Hmm. She's not very pretty." The woman snickers.

That hits a nerve and Lee growls as she slams the door shut and stomps off to her room down the breeze way.

'_I shouldn't have gone in there!_' She yells at herself, slamming the sliding door shut. Her fists tighten at her sides and start to shake. She shuts her eyes and locks her jaw, trying to fight back the angry tears that well up inside her. Her heart hammers in her chest, furiously. '_What is wrong with me?_'

A knock sounds on her door and she jerks in surprise.

"Some people are trying to sleep!" The harsh words escape from her mouth before she has time to think about what she's saying. The door slides open, but she refuses to face her visitor. "It's rude to enter someone's room uninvited!" She growls.

"You should take your own advice." He replies. She gasps silently.

Shaking her head, she takes a deep inhale and starts to remove the tie he gave her for her hair. "Since when would I ever listen to you?"

The tie in her hair suddenly slips from her fingers as he pulls it out the rest of the way and her hair falls down around her in soft curls. She freezes for a second, trying to register what had happened.

"What did you-?" She's cut off when he's suddenly behind her. His normal hand pulls down the back of her kimono so that his lips can brush the back of her neck softly like the wind! Her breath hitches and again she freezes, only giving him the perfect opportunity to slip his arm around her and grip the front of her kimono. The demon arm he took wraps around her waist holding her against him sternly. With one soft pull, the cloth slips off from around her shoulders!

"W-what are you doing?" She breathes, trying to sound defiant.

"Why are you trying to object? You're the one who's always complaining about my touch confusing you." He answers.

A memory flashes across Lee's mind from the conversation she had with Inuyasha the last time they met when she was hurt.

"Inuyasha…told me…"

"What?" He asks when she pauses, breathing into her shoulder.

"About demon males." Her strength returns, the heat across her skin becomes a blaze and makes her shiver. "You come, you get what you want, and then you leave. You only take women to leave your mark and make sure you have an heir."

"That half-breed should learn his place." He buries his face into her skin and again pulls at her kimono. Her hand comes up and grabs hold of it as she tries to keep herself covered.

"He was trying to protect me. I won't let you have your way with me since that's all your after." She glances over at him just as he kisses her shoulder again.

"Whatever you say."

She can hear the disbelief in his words.

As he trails his lips up her neck and closer to her jaw his mind wonders back to a conversation he had had with the half-breed in question.

"_Sesshomaru, you should've been able to prevent this." Kagome snaps, placing her stuff back in her bag. Inuyasha comes to stand beside her._

"_Why do you have her with you anyway?"_

"_I don't have to answer to a half-breed like you." Sesshomaru responds to his little brother._

"_You can't have any feelings for the girl. You said yourself that you despise humans. Let her come with us." Inuyasha pushes._

_Sesshomaru lifts his glare to the young man. "If she wishes to leave with you then it's her choice."_

"_Is it? Do you let her make her own decisions?"_

"_What are you asking, Inuyasha?" Kagome asks._

"_I know how demons are. They do anything to claim areas of land and to make sure they have kids to take over the land so that it stays in the family." Inuyasha ignores her and keeps hammering his brother._

"_What? Demons rape human?" Kagome snaps._

"_They choose other demons as their mates, but demon females change so rapidly that it's hard for them to bare children and humans can rarely have children by demons. Most human mothers die shortly after becoming pregnant with the child because their bodies can't handle it. That's why there are so few half-demons in the world." Inuyasha explains to her._

"_Sesshomaru, don't even-"_

"_The human has nothing I want." He cuts her off and walks away from the two._

She doesn't remember how he got her down on her back on the floor, surrounded by that fur scarf he carries, or how she had let him tear her kimono sleeve clean off so that her entire right arm is exposed to the cold air. She does know that she's not cold. The warmth of the fur and the blazing fire across her skin flares up where his bare chest caresses her is all the warmth her body needs. Both of her hands are holding onto her kimono feebly so that she can keep her chest and the rest of her body covered.

"Se…Sesshomaru…I said…stop." Her resolve is disappearing deep into her mind, but she just keeps trying to pull it back. Her breath comes faster.

"Explain to me why I should." His voice is steady, but heavy. His fingers pick at the knot of the wrap holding her kimono closed around her. His lips trace across her collar bone, around her neck, on the hallow behind her ear, and back down her shoulders.

"B-because…"

"Why?"

"You…you're not like those other demons…" She tries to finish, but against her will an unknown sound, so unlike her, escapes from her throat. He doesn't know why, but it excites him to no end. He claws at her kimono knot faster in response. "You…have more…respect than…them…s-stop."

He doesn't. He just pulls her knee up around his hip, ripping off the yellow and blue wrap from around his waist.

"Sesshomaru!" She cries.

He jolts to a stop and lifts his golden eyes to her face. She sounds truly…afraid and upset. A tear falls from her eyes. Something stirs inside him. Something he's never felt before.

Lifting himself away from her, he gets to his feet and leaves the room as if nothing happened. Lee sits up and follows him with her eyes. Her skin shivers and goose bumps skip across her arms and legs. The cold finally hits her.

_Okaaaaay..._

_Like I said, too fluffy for me. Most of the credit for this chapter goes to my friend Ray! Thanks girl for the help...if you're reading this._

_If any of you naughty children below 18, who I asked to move on to the next chapter, are reading this then that lets me know that you read the chapter and are now scarred by Ray's imagination! HA! You can't blame me! I warned you!_

_(Also my character Raye and Ray are not the same person...I don't know how many people have asked me that so far. Raye is just another figment of my horrible imagination.)_

_Raye: HEY!_

_Just kidding!_

_Please read and review! (But please don't be hateful :D )_


	12. Chapter 12

_Yay! Chapter 12 is up! You know, you readers are really lucky; I've never come this far with any of my fanficts. I've tried doing an Eragon fanfict, but I'm so blocked up on that I haven't worked on it in, like, three months...no four._

_Anyhoo, this chapter is my favorite so far! I got to pick on/torture Inuyasha some more and yes I love to torture if it isn't obvious already! Heck, I think I'm going to get a certain character killed off soon because she's getting on my nerves and I'm not liking her anymore...but you'll just have to see who I pick to die! It will really make you confused!_

_Well, then, here ya go!_

_(AN: The characters/story line of Inuyasha are not mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines!)_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_Chapter 12-

The next morning, Lee opens her eyes slowly. She can hear birds chirping happily outside, but none of that happiness reaches her. She doesn't want to move because the emptiness inside her is overwhelming. It had taken her forever to fall asleep last night. She thought she would've cried, but no tears came. She wouldn't let them.

Now, all that's gone. Nothing remains except for that hallow emptiness deep inside her. She feels like nothing, but a shell.

'_I just want to disappear…_'

_**Don't start that! Don't let that demon get to you! You don't have to deal with this!**_

'_What else can I do?_'

_**Weren't you heading for a village so you could return home? I can lead you there from here.**_

'_You can? How long will it take us to get there?_'

_**Just find something you can ride or else it'll take us forever.**_

Lee sits up quickly, trying to ignore that awful feeling inside her, and starts to get to her feet when she stops. There at her bed side is a new kimono folded neatly on the floor. Her surprise turns to anger and she snatches it up off the floor, quickly changing into the new clothes. There's no way he can buy her forgiveness.

As she slides open her door slowly, she glances around the quiet town for any sounds of life. A thin fog lays out across the ground and a few chickens peck the ground, but other than that, the people aren't stirring from their houses yet. She heads out, not bothering to close the door, and leaves the inn behind her. Sneaking through the sleepy town, she spots a few horses at the edge of the village and opens the gate.

'_This'll do. I hope the owners won't mind me borrowing it…_'

The voice inside her just sighs and Lee smiles. She throws a blanket across the horses back before using the gate to climb on and, leading the young mare out of the stall, heads out into the morning. She's not used to riding a horse with just a rope around its muzzle for reins, but it's better than nothing at all. She glances back one last time, before kicking the horse into a trot and disappearing into the fog.

* * *

"But where could she have gone?" Rin cries. She'd never lost a sister like this before. Her sister was still alive, but she left her behind. What Rin couldn't understand was: why?

"Shut up, child! Lord Sesshomaru needs to think and he can't do that with all your whining!" Jaken snaps at her, but a sudden blow to the head with his own staff knocks him to the ground. Sesshomaru drops the staff, staring off into the foggy morning.

Her scent is still here, but it's faint; it's nearly five hours old. He had followed it out here to this stable the moment Rin had burst into his room screaming that Lee was gone. Something isn't right. He could smell that she had taken a horse, but she hadn't taken any clothes with her. Why would she leave her things behind and not come back for them?

* * *

"Crap!" Lee groans.

_**What now?**_

"I forgot my clothes!" She responds.

_**You're terrible.**_

"Leave me alone! You're living inside a body so you don't have to worry about these things!" Lee snaps. "And besides, this isn't the only kimono I have, so I get to change clothes when I need to, but without the others it's like walking around in filth. It's nasty."

_**Your current kimono should last you a couple of days so stop complaining!**_

Lee hushes as Raye's strict voice tears through her. "Okay, okay."

After she had left the village, she thought they would reach the town Kagome was speaking of in no time, but here they are, still trudging down the long, dirt, barren road. They haven't passed anyone all morning. The loneliness is driving her crazy.

"Hey, how far away is this town anyway? It feels like we've walking for days." Lee finally speaks up to complain again.

She can feel Raye sigh. _**Relax! We've only been walking for a few hours; it shouldn't be too long now.**_

"Oh, good." Lee kicks the horse back into a trot, content that the animal has had enough time to rest from the faster pace, and the road seems to fly by.

As they reach the top of the hill, Lee pulls hard to slow the horse. "Is that it?"

Lee follows the river traveling parallel beside her down the hill to a village almost surrounded by trees. Fields of vegetation and pastures of smaller animals line the outskirts where the trees are absent.

_**Yeah, that's it.**_

"You think Kagome is there?" Lee asks.

Raye, deep inside her, shrugs.

It's getting easier to feel her ever since Lee first spoke to her. This brings a smile to her face. She has a friend.

They head down the hill, following the river, before cutting across some tall grassy plains towards the town. About fifty yards out all hell breaks loose!

"Look out!" A male voice screams.

"Hmm?" Lee turns to see who had called out to her and out of nowhere, a long serpent-like demon tears out of the long grass, revealing itself, and leaps at her!

"Agh!" Lee thrusts out her hand as if she can stop the beast and red hot flames rip from her palm and leaving a blazing cold pain throbbing across her hand! She tumbles off the horse who races off in fright!

The demon, hit directly in the face by the hot flames, shakes off the scorching cinders burning on his face. "_You shall pay for that human!_"

The chilling voice has Lee stumbling to her feet in fear and running away! "No, no, no! Get away!"

_**You have to face it! I can help you like I just did!**_

"What?" Lee breathes, still running for her life. "You shot those flames out of my hand?"

_**For some reason, you have control over my fire as well, but I can control when you use it.**_

"Oh, that's comforting!" And Lee meant every word.

Behind her, the snake demon swings its tail out and trips her!

"Agh!" She hits the ground hard, face digging into the dirt! She flips over onto her back and raises both of her hands into the air towards the approaching demon. "Stay back or I'll turn you to ash!" The words are weak and pathetic leaving her mouth.

"_Hahahahaha! Strong words for a lousy human! Though I agree your power over the element is shocking, there is no way it is strong enough to kill me!_" His tail shifts and before she can react, it wraps around her arms and lifts her into the air! The coil nearly crushes her arms, but she holds in her cry of pain. "_Ah, you hold a remarkable beauty for such a pathetic human. You'd be the perfect host for my children's bodies!_"

His beady red eyes bore thoughtfully into Lee's.

"Excuse me?" Lee whimpers.

The snake demon laughs. "_Yes, this shell will do just fine. My children cannot be born as dirty half-breeds. Once a host is seeded, my children will grow until they will rip themselves out of the shell protecting them. Your dead corpse will be their first meal._" The demon's tongue snakes out of his mouth and slithers across her cheek and then down her neck!

"What?" Lee yells now. Her voice is stronger, outraged, and she can feel that strange unearthly heat blaze through her body. No way was she allowing another perverted demon try to mistreat her!

"Fire!" Nearly a dozen male voices cut into the area and a hail storm of arrows rain down on the demon!

The snake hisses in pain and drops Lee as it turns to face its new target. "_You maggots will not deny me my pleasure!_"

"That ain't gonna happen, snake-boy!" Lee snaps, feeling Raye's anger and voice mix with her own. She raises her hand, aiming for the demon and releases the power building up in her arm! The heat blazes, the fire scorches, and the demon's body melts away into cinders before her very eyes!

_**Low life.**_ Raye growls inside Lee before falling silent.

"Miss?"

"Wow that was amazing!"

"Are you okay?"

All at once, a group of about ten men surround her and bombard her with questions, making their sentences a hum of noise in her ears. The warm tingling across her palm has her worried, but with that single thought of worry, the feeling disappears and she turns to address the men.

"Enough! Let the girl breathe!" An elderly voice breaks the noise.

"Lady Kaede!"

The group moves out of the way as an elderly woman walks up, bow in hand and a holder with arrows across her back. She stops directly in front of Lee and stares up at her intently for a long moment.

'_Okay. Older woman is scaring me with those accusing eyes, but it's better than being in the coils of that demon._' Lee glances over at the demon's smoking corpse so that she doesn't have to look into the woman's eyes, but then she remembers something Kagome had told her.

"_When you get there, stay with Kaede. Tell her you know us and that we sent you there._" Kagome had said.

"A-are you Kaede?" Lee asks nervously.

The woman's eyes turn from suspicious to surprise. "Aye, child. How do ye know me?"

"Uh...Kagome and her friends sent me here to wait for them. She told me to stay with you until they return so that she could help me get home." I spill out truthfully.

"Ah! So ye know of Kagome and Inuyasha. Well, then I guess we have no reason to fear ye. From the sight of your control over the fire, we feared ye were a demon in disguise." Kaede takes Lee by the hand and leads her into the village as the men and villagers follow them with shocked and curious gazes.

"So, you know them too?" Lee asks, still nervous since she had said 'Demon is disguise'. Technically she's not far off.

_**Shhh!**_ Raye hisses.

'_Okay!_'

"Yes. Kagome came here from another time, but she harbors special powers that only a Priestess can wield. We found out later that she is truly the reincarnation of my sister Kikyo." Kaede explains, leading her into a private hut. Lee pulls off her shoes and steps up onto the wood floor around the fireplace.

"Kagome? A reincarnated Priestess? Wait! What's a Priestess? Who's Kikyo?" Lee hammers, suddenly curious.

"Kikyo was my sister until fifty years ago when she died. She lost her life in a battle with Inuyasha who she bound to a tree with a sacred arrow. According to Kagome, they search for a demon named Naraku who pitted the two of them against each other in order to kill them. Inuyasha and Kikyo believed the other betrayed them, not knowing that the one who really caused all their pain was the one known as Naraku. As a Priestess, my sister used her powers to protect the villagers, herself, and the sacred jewel."

"Oh!" Lee interrupts. "I heard about the sacred jewel!"

A force hits her square in the gut and Raye's voice again tells her to shut her mouth.

"Uh...Kagome, I think, mentioned something about it before I last left her." Lee quickly adds.

"You must be hungry. Why don't I make us some lunch and then ye can get yourself some much needed rest." Kaede smiles.

"Thank you. I really need that." Lee returns her smile.

Kaede moves over to a wood burning stove and starts on lunch while Lee lies down to rest for a while. Raye settles down too after chewing her out for a good long time. Lee only smiles and ignores her which causes the demon to just yell louder.

* * *

"Lee? Hey. How are you feeling?" Kagome's voice breaks into her dreams and she wakes up.

"I'm good, just a little worn out." Lee answers sleepily, sitting up. "When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago. Kaede said you were here, but I only just got the chance to come see how you were doing." She smiles handing her a bottle of water, the first thing Lee has seen from her world in days.

Lee takes in energetically and swallows it down quickly as if it would disappear.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kagome chuckles.

"Yeah." Lee laughs, wiping her mouth. "I was just thirstier than I thought I was."

"Hey is that girl up yet?" A demanding voice comes booming into the room. Inuyasha brushes the bamboo door aside and crosses his arms. "Kaede said you have some weird tricks that we didn't know about. Mind explaining?"

"Inuyasha! Stop interrogating the poor girl! She's not some enemy of ours-"

"No he's right." Lee stops her, dropping her head in defeat. She can feel Raye sigh inside her and she knows that they have no choice but to trust someone. "I have a slight control over fire."

"Slight? How slight are we talking here?" Inuyasha pushes.

"Uh...as in a demon inside me lets me use it when I'm in danger." Lee quickly bursts out.

"You're possessed by a demon?" Kagome jumps to her feet and in seconds Inuyasha is standing in front of her protectively.

"I guess this means we'll have to cut the demon out!" He growls.

Raye growls from inside Lee, sending a wave of anger through her. Suddenly she loses control over her voice.

"_You'll do good not to test me dog! I'm much stronger than you take me for!_" Raye snaps, standing up to face him. Her eyes are glowing a bright green!

"Lee?" Kagome gasps.

"_No child! I'm the demon inside her and I don't pose her any threat at all. She promised to help me find away to get free so we're working together. If you try to kill me then the girl dies as well! We're...too far in sync now for some reason!_"

"Inuyasha, stop!" Kagome pulls hard on the half-demon's red kimono sleeve after a long moment of thought. "She's on our side. We have to help them."

"Hell, no! If we trust her, she'll probably turn on us in a second after she's free!" He snaps.

"_And if you don't trust me, the human and I will both die! You have no choice!_" Raye shoots back. By now they are nose to nose, standing on their toes ready to fight.

Kagome can't stand the sight! It looks just like Lee, only her eyes and voice are totally not her own. She really does have a demon inside her!

"Stop it, both of you!" Kagome gets between them and pushes them apart. Lee's body stumbles back and she sighs.

"Oww..." Lee says her voice back to normal. She sinks to the floor holding her forehead. "What just happened? Did Raye talk to you?"

"Raye? That's her name?" Kagome asks, sitting down next to her.

"Yeah, she's a nine-tailed fox demon. I finally was able to talk to her a few days after you left us." Lee rubs her eyes which are oddly stinging a little.

"A full blooded nine-tail?" Inuyasha mumbles mostly to himself.

"What is it?"

"Nine-tail foxes are rare. I didn't know they existed, but I've heard of them through rumors. They have a stronger control over fire. It's ever stronger than a normal fox demon. They're one of the wonders of the world." Inuyasha answers Kagome.

"One of those fox demons was here not long ago trying to take a few of the jewel shards you left behind Kagome." Kaede says entering the room. "Sadly though, the demon was able to take them. I apologize."

"It's okay, Kaede. You tried to protect them and that's all I could hope for. Lee, is Raye the fox-demon who took the jewel shards?"

"Uh..." Lee listens to Raye who just shrugs.

_**Might as well tell them. They already know about me.**_

Lee sighs, dropping her head again. "Yes. She told me she stole them and drew herself into the tree that was considered sacred to hide herself. The jewel fragments were starting to do something to her when I passed through the tree at the same time. I think...I think when I made the wish from back home; the jewels inside Raye heard me because we were so close and responded. They weren't doing anything to Raye; they were doing something to both of us. They made me absorb Raye as I passed through to this time."

Kagome places a hand on Lee's shoulder. "I can see how that could be possible. I've seen the jewel fragments do amazing things, but this is different. The problem is, if Raye had the shards inside her, and now she's in you, I wonder why I can't sense them..."

"Odd." Kaede responds to the statement, glancing at Lee.

"Can we stop talking already and figure out what we're going to do?" Inuyasha finally snaps, breaking in impatiently. He crosses his arms again and sits down with an annoyed expression against the wall behind them.

"Yes, we should. How do you get a demon out of a human without tearing them apart and killing them?" Kagome begins to mumble to herself.

"Perhaps an exorcism?"

_**NO! That will kill me!**_

"Raye says no to that, it'll kill her." Lee responds.

"Anything will kill her." Inuyasha growls under his breath.

_**Shut it, dog!**_

"Raye says shut it." Lee sends back calmly.

In a flash Inuyasha picks Lee up by her collar, growling in her face "What?"

"Inuyasha, SIT!" Comes Kagome's command.

The floor shakes terribly as he slams face first into the wood. Lee can't help but smile and pat his silver head.

He waves her off angrily, but she can see that the anger doesn't reach his eyes. Suddenly, as she looks down into his face, she's suddenly looking down into Sesshomaru's face. A shiver runs through her and she rubs her arms, erasing the goose bumps that rise there.

"Lee, do you recognize this?" Kagome reaches into her skirt pocket and pulls out a small round object that looks like its broke in half. The pinkish purple color sends a flash of recognition through Lee.

_**The Sacred Jewel.**_

Raye speaks from deep inside her and almost instantly a purple glow breaks out across Lee's body. She raises her arms and glances down in wonder at herself!

"You do have jewel shards!" Kagome laughs, staring wide eyed at the glow around the younger girl.

"Whoa…" Lee murmurs under her breath. All too soon the glow disappears and other gasps and whispers join theirs. They all glance up as Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all enter slowly into the room, staring in shock at Lee.

The glow fades slowly away as they all sit down. Kaede sits down too, stirring the pot of stew in the center of the room over the fire place, and keeps her eyes on her work, but Lee can see her hard expression anyway.

"So there are jewel shards inside you too?" Miroku asks with a smile. "Beautiful and special." Lee back hands him again when his hand suspiciously finds its way to her behind again. He falls face flat on the floor! "Darn this cursed hand!" He groans.

"More like a cursed personality." Sango mumbles glaring down at him.

"Agreed." Lee growls.

"Miroku will never learn." Inuyasha adds.

"Now, then why don't we eat and then discuss what it is ye all plan to do about this situation." Kaede chuckles, passing out a few clay sculpted bowls around the room.

'_I hope these are sanitary._'

_**Just eat.**_ Raye mumbles.

Lee grins and digs into the odd looking soup and then discovers how delicious it really is! The soup fills her up with a yummy warmth that only a hot meal can bring. Lee sighs in relief; the last couple of days have been hard and the poor meals haven't helped much, but the company was always good. Right about now, Rin would be chasing Jaken around, who would threaten to hit her with his staff when they all knew good and well that he never would, and then Sesshomaru would finally and calmly tell Rin to go to sleep which she would happily do with a smile. Lee smiles secretively to herself at the memory. Those nights had actually been...fun, in an odd kind of way. None of them were alike in anyway and yet they made up a group, a team, a...family.

As the word enters her mind, Lee can feel a warm feeling heat her face and she starts to wonder if she's sick.

"Now what do I do?" She asks herself.

"Now? Simple, you let your friends help you." Kagome places a hand on her shoulder and smiles at her like a true friend.

* * *

_Raye: Wow, you did good on this chapter!_

_Thank you, Raye!_

_Lee: You hate me don't you?_

_(Raye and I muffle our laughter.)_

_Well, this chapter, like I said has to be my favorite so far. I hope you will continue to stay on with us! :D_

_Please read and review! (But please don't be hateful :D )_


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13! Woot! I'm so proud of myself and I'm sorry for sounding self-centered, but I am! I've never gotten this far!_

_(Bounces happily!)_

_Ahem! Now, getting down to business, this chapter is set a few weeks (or something like that...just read the chapter!) after Lee left Sesshomaru and company. She now decides to stay with Kagome and the others until she can find a way home. By the way, even though she has jewel shards inside of her, she can't go through the well like Kagome...strange...don't ask me why, I didn't go into details about it in this chapter because I didn't know myself. If anyone has any ideas then please tell me! :D_

_Also, she and Shippo are going to get closer too, since they are both fox demons..sorta. Lee and Inuyasha are as argumentative as ever, but that's explained in the chapter too, so don't worry your pants off._

_And finally, Lee gets into some trouble with a past enemy that she had run into, turns out Kagura had updated a certain someone with some information, and Lee gets to see those circumstances first hand. Our favorite little mirror girl also gets a chance in the story too!_

_There's a whole lot more in this chapter so read and enjoy! There's a big twist at the end too! Someone may die! (I warned you didn't I?)_

_(AN: The characters/story line of Inuyasha are not mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines!)_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_Chapter 13-

"Lord Sesshomaru, I wonder how Miss Lee is. I really miss her. Are you sure it's okay to leave her behind?" Rin looks up from the ground for the first time all morning and speaks for the first time in nearly two weeks. Sesshomaru is actually surprised; he nearly forgot what her voice sounds like. She hasn't skipped around like she usually does; neither does she hum her annoying little songs when she's happy like she had done so much in the past before Lee had left. She just became more and sadder with each passing day.

"That human was only a sack of luggage, Rin. She's probably gone back to Inuyasha's village and returned home by now. Forget her!" Jaken snaps, his voice sounds oddly weak. "Forget her." He repeats.

"But..." Rin's eyes drop back to the path they have been walking for hours now. "She's my sister..."

Sesshomaru stops in his tracks. Sister. The word sounds so strange in his ears. Had that girl really wormed her way into Rin's life in just a few short days? Had she really become an everyday being in all their lives? Rin had said on the night after they found Lee missing that she missed her story. The story about the small fox that never cried.

* * *

"Lee! Get down!" Inuyasha leaps over to her and hits her square on her head to knock her to the ground.

"Back off! I can take care of myself!" She growls, pushing him away. She gets back to her feet and stings her bow once more, aiming at the huge bug monster that rips through yet another house.

It's been nearly three weeks. Three weeks and she still remains here. Inuyasha and Kagome leave now and then to go and look for Naraku, bringing Sango, Miroku, and Shippo with them, but they do return when they can. They just got back yesterday to resupply when this demon decided to show up this morning. While they're away, Kaede and a few of the villagers give her lessons in archery so she can defend herself, while she studies to get control over the fire element that she and Raye both share. Only once after her argument with Inuyasha has Raye ever emerged from inside her after that, but since then Lee has made it her personal goal to help keep Raye calm and out of stress. The more stress she gets in, Lee can feel how much closer they get. That closeness scares her because if they do eventually find a way to part, it may not be possible.

"Look out!" Kagome yells.

The giant stick bug looking monster slams its foot into the ground sending a wave of rocks and debris straight at them!

"Ah!" Lee runs as fast as she can and leaps behind a tree to hide behind. The wave passes by, kicking up dirt and grass in its wake. She coughs to get the dirt she breaths in out of her lungs fast before coming out from behind it and aiming at the demon again. This time she breathes a few times, gaining her focus, and sends the radiating energy through her arms and into the arrow itself.

It starts to glow a brilliant red and a ball of pure fire grows at the tip of the point. She releases it and it ignites! The raging blaze hits the demon square in the chest and explodes!

"Yeah! Beat that, Dog-boy!" Lee teases Inuyasha who has slowly become like a brother to her over the last couple of weeks.

"Shut up, Fox-girl!" He laughs. "Watch and learn." He races at the demon, drawing his sword, and leaps into the air.

"Wind Scar!" His blade hits the ground and the sound of wind tears into the air, a wave of golden power ripping across the ground and slicing across the demon it three claw-like marks! The demon cries out in pain before it's engulfed in light! When the dust clears, the demon lies dead in three pieces, split apart by three scars trailing across the ground.

"Show off." Lee crosses her arms and inside Raye burst into laughter.

"No, that's called talent." He sheaths his sword, appropriately named Tetsusaiga, and turns to their approaching friends.

"Are you insane? You could've destroyed the whole town! Next time, can you warn us when you ego decides to surface so we can get the demon **away **from the town?" Miroku snaps.

"Shut up! I killed the demon didn't I?"

"Trying to show off." Lee adds.

"I was not! The demon needed to be killed and your little flames weren't doing much good!" Inuyasha stomps off over towards the dead corpse her had slain, followed closely by Miroku.

"Is my fire really that small?" Lee whispers under her breath.

"Don't listen to him." Sango wraps an arm around her shoulder, swinging her giant boomerang over her back. "That's just his male pride talking."

"Yeah, he knows that if you had not hit it, the demon wouldn't have been stunned long enough for him to kill it." Kagome chuckles. "Your aim is actually improving a lot. Aren't you glad you took my advice?"

"Yes, thank you. Without these lessons I would probably get pretty bored. I mean jumping in and out of that well all day isn't all that fun...woops."

"You've been doing what? I thought we discussed this? We've already tried going through the well together and you just get left behind. I know that sounds weird since you have jewel shards inside you and all, but it doesn't work, so you shouldn't stress yourself so much. I thought you said stress was a bad thing for Raye?" Kagome places her hands on her hips, but her face expresses the worry that only a mother can have.

"Yeah, I know you're right, but I just can't help but try sometimes. I keep having dreams where I go down the well and return home and sometimes I can't tell if they're real of not." Lee hangs her head.

Sango give her a little hug. "Don't worry; we'll get you home if we can."

They walk off when shouts from Shippo and Inuyasha start to rise and Lee heads off on her own into the woods.

It's really lonely her when they leave, but when they are here, Lee still feels so out of place. She doesn't know how to explain it. If she doesn't belong here, and she doesn't really belong anywhere back home, then where does she belong?

_**Lee? Don't stress. Not only can I here and see your thoughts now, but I can feel the effect of your emotions too. Remember that.**_

'_Yeah, I know. I'm sorry._' Lee sighs. She stops mid-step and takes a deep inhale. Letting it out quickly, she shakes her head to clear out all of her worry factors and then continues on.

_**Very well done. You're getting better.**_ Raye smiles within her.

'_It's all because of you Raye. You know, I'm really going to miss you most of all when I leave._' Lee thinks.

_**If you leave.**_

'_Who's being stressful now?_'

_**No one. I may just decide to adopt you as my family and keep you here!**_ Raye bursts into hysteria again.

'_Ha-ha._' Lee thinks sarcastically. Focusing on her palms, Lee pushes the energy out of her hands and into the air between them. A small ball of fire ignites and Lee tosses it around a little. It's pretty fun, for something this small. This is one of the first games Raye taught her to use for training and already Lee has surpassed to another level of training. It's time consuming; a few times she thought it would be easier and faster to train if she was a demon.

"Lee?" Shippo calls.

"Hey, Shippo. I'm over here." Lee calls from her tree. The small bundle of fur comes racing over to her and hands her a small container.

"Kagome told me to bring you this. She's heading back home for a few hours and told me to keep you company." He smiles.

"Thanks, Shippo. This means a lot."

"Are you okay? You seem down."

"Nope!" Lee tells him quickly. "I'm great! Just practicing a few lessons before tonight. Have you been practicing?"

"Yeah!" He jumps into the air and throws out his hand. "Fox fire!"

A stream of blue fire blows out across the clearing and Lee claps. "Awesome job, Shippo! You've really been working hard at it!"

"Yeah, it's been a whole lot easier since you and Raye gave me a few lessons! I thank you a lot for them too. They can be helpful against Inuyasha too when he tries to pick on me as well!"

Together they break into laughter and spit out a few jokes, trying to mimic Inuyasha's male pride and huge ego problem before they finally settle down and start to walk back to the village. Shippo rides up on her shoulder and tells her of their progress in searching for Naraku. Lee tries to pay attention, but every time he says the guy's name, a shiver runs down her spine.

Shippo leaps off her shoulder when a few of the village children run up and ask him to play with them and Lee watches him as they head off. A small demon child like Shippo is even accepted here in a town of humans. Why do other demons hate them and half-demons so much? A picture of Sessomaru's face flashes across her mind and she shakes her head quickly to rid herself of it. She would not think of him ever again. He was just another demon in her eyes.

As she walks back to Kaede's hut, she thinks back on Shippo. He uses fire, but it's a different color than hers. Raye had explained that it was because he was only a fox demon child and that it would change color as he grew up. Raye on the other hand, is a nine-tailed fox demon and she had told Lee that her fire was really different, but she hadn't gone into much detail.

Pushing the reed door aside, she enters into a gloomy atmosphere.

"Whoa, what happened here? Did somebody die?" Lee chuckles.

"Kagome has left and now Inuyasha is sinking into a state of anxiousness. He can't stand being apart from her." Miroku smiles from his seat across the fire.

"That's not true, monk. I just don't understand why she has to go home all the time. Staying here would give us more time to...go and look for Naraku." Inuyasha quickly goes into a defensive state and instantly Lee can see the truth in the monk's words. Inuyasha does get this way whenever Kagome leaves, but Lee hasn't noticed it until now.

"Don't worry, Dog-boy. She'll come back with your chew toys soon."

"Shut it, Fox-girl!" He snaps before hopping up and heading out the door.

For the rest of the day, Inuyasha sits up on the roof sulking, Sango and Miroku walk through the town, Lee helps Kaede pick herbs for the medicine she usually starts making around in the afternoon time. Shippo comes back to the hut around dinner time and he helps Lee make the food while Kaede works. It gives them more time to bond while the others are busy. Miroku and Sango return later, signaling their return with a slap as he tries to reach for her back side again, and Kagome comes into the hut not long after them with her arms full of bags.

"I'm back!"

"Hi, Kagome!" Everyone chimes together.

Lee smiles. It's like one of those old TV shows about families in the old days. The father would come home from work and all the family would get up to great him with hugs and smiles. It's really cool how those days still show their colors at the weirdest times.

"Hey, where's Inuyasha?"

"He wasn't on the roof when you showed up?" Sango asks.

"Nope, his usual spot was empty. Hmmm...well! More chips for us!" She exclaims digging into her bags and pulling out an orange bag of cheddar potato chips!

"Ah! Sweet, heaven!" Lee cries happily.

"Here, Lee." Shippo holds open the bag and sets it between them. "We can share this one."

Together they dig in and the familiar flavor of her favorite snack fills her mouth. "Yum!"

_**That tastes weird.**_

"Whatever, Raye!"

"What did she say?" Shippo asks.

"She says these chips taste weird."

"Whatever!" Shippo repeats.

Their laughter comes to an abrupt halt when a familiar voice growls "You came back without telling me? Geez, some friend you are!"

Inuyasha stomps over to the wall behind Kagome, anxiousness gone from his movements and voice.

"Here you go." Kagome responds by handing him his own bag of potato chips to chow on.

"See I told you." Lee mumbles.

"I heard that!" He snaps.

They all start laughing again, the happy sound lifting into the darkening sky above.

* * *

Lee wakes up way earlier than she normally does. Raye stirs restlessly inside her.

'_Something's not right._' She thinks. Getting up, she tiptoes to the door, glancing behind her at all her sleeping friends to make sure none of them have budged. No one moves except Shippo who rolls in his sleep and mumbles something about candy.

She leaves as quietly as possible and then steps out farther into the street. The entire village is still asleep, the sky above not even barley light enough to see. Drawing forth a flame into her palm, Lee heads down the road, following the strange feeling.

At the edge of the village, she stops. There at the bottom of the hill are the graves of the two buried corpses, one of the snake who attacked her when she first came here and the other of the demon bug from yesterday. The graves are silent, still and motionless. That's not where the feeling is coming from. It's beyond, across the fields of tall grass. What is it though? Should she leave?

Raye again stirs, her stress and anger rising. _**I know this aura...**_

'_Huh?_' Lee glancing back at the town, deciding on whether or not she should go, but she shakes her head. '_I can take care of myself._'

The wind blows the tall grass as it brushes around her waist. Where's a lawn mower when you need one? She walks and walks and walks, wondering if these fields will go on forever, but she can feel the bad feeling getting stronger with each of her steps. She pauses twice, second guessing her choice, but each time she chooses to go on. Eventually she comes to the base of a tall mound. It's not really a mountain because it's only about thirty feet tall, but it's not really small enough to be a mound of dirt either. Dug into the side of it, Lee can see an opening about ten feet tall. It's a cave, but that isn't what has her terrified. Spilling out of this cave is a dark almost sickening looking purple smoke.

'_That's...an aura?_'

_**Yes.**_ Raye answers in a threatened growl.

'_Who's though?_'

Raye doesn't answer, but her growl just gets louder.

Taking a step towards the cave a blast of wind hits her and she is suddenly hit by recognition!

She has tasted this feeling before! Once before when she had nearly been cut up by that wind lady with the weird fans! Lee gasps out loud and backs away quickly! From the cave, the cloud vanishes in a snap and a man with long dark brown hair emerges. His eyes are redder than any she has ever seen! He stands in a position that makes him seem all powerful.

"What is it we have here?" His voice is dark and deep.

Out of nowhere a small child with whiter hair and dressed in a white kimono emerges at his side. She sets her dead eyes on Lee for a long moment before turning to the man.

"Wait! I've seen her before!" A familiar voice gasps. In a blast of wind, the woman with the fans appears on the man's other side. "She was with Sesshomaru about three weeks ago. I saw them as I was flying over, Naraku."

"Very well done, Kagura." Naraku turns and pins Lee down with those deadly eyes again and suddenly he changes before her eyes!

Lee nearly gasps when she suddenly finds herself wanting to go to stand beside him too! He abruptly doesn't look so threatening…

_**Don't fall for it! Run now!**_ Raye's voice breaks through the illusion and Lee starts to back away slowly.

"Naraku, this girl…her soul is touched by a strange power." The girl with the dead eyes says in a voice that's not much different. She stares down at the round mirror in her hands that faces Lee, shooting her reflection back at her. The mirror is glowing that purple glow that had surrounded Lee the last time Kagome brought out the sacred jewel around her!

"I can see this too, Kana. This glow is very familiar…" Naraku bores his eyes deeper into Lee's eyes, forcing her to a stop again. "Kagura," He says after a very long moment, "Bring her to me."

"As you wish, Naraku." Kagura leaps into the air with little effort and flies towards Lee!

"NO!" Lee spins on her heel and takes off back towards the village! Behind her she can hear Kagura laugh in amusement. Lee's feet rush faster, harder, beating the ground like a rock to a larger boulder!

A blast of wind hits the ground directly at her feet, ripping open the dirt and sending her flying forward! "AHG!"

Lee hits the ground on the edge of the field just outside the village, face first and skids to a stop with a cry. The sound echoes across the field.

"Silence, girl! I promise I'll make this quick." Kagura lands gracefully on the grass about three yards away from her, blocking her escape path to the village! "You're going to make Naraku really happy. Maybe he'll stop following me around so much after this." A sly and dangerous smile pulls across her face, making her look more devilish than need be.

Lee sits up and starts to back away, hoping the tall grass will be enough to guard her, but before she can get there, Kagura swings her fan again and a deadly slice of wind shreds towards her!

_**Not this again!**_

A great heat escapes out of her body and Lee slings her arms out over her head, the fire appearing around her following her command and spinning around in all directions around her body until a dome forms above her! Lee stares in awe as the woman's wind knocks weakly against her fiery shield.

"What?" Kagura hisses.

"Kagura!" Inuyasha's distant voice growls at the woman.

Kagura spins around and finds Inuyasha and his company running at her across the countryside!

"Damn!" She pulls out a feather from her hair and flies on top of it into the air. "This should keep them busy for awhile!" She pulls out a small round object from inside her kimono and tosses it to the grass land far below. It hits the dirt and embeds into the ground.

"Lee! Can you hear me?" Kagome approaches the dome of fire, but stops when Lee finally drops her hands and the shield burns away out of existence. She falls over onto the soft grass in exhaustion. "Lee!"

"I'm okay. That just…took a lot out of me. More than I thought it would." Lee tells her, as Kagome picks up her head and tucks her knees under her like a pillow.

"Are you sure? Why were you out here alone anyway?" Sango interrogates her.

"I felt something out here and then I ran into that wind lady and some dude…wait, she called him Naraku."

"Naraku!" Inuyasha and Miroku shout at the same time.

"Yeah." Lee answers, closing her eyes with a sigh.

"Let's get you back so you can rest." Kagome suggests. Her words are cut short when the ground begins to rumble! It grows louder and heavier with every second!

"What the-?" Sango grips her weapon, readying herself for battle. Miroku places both his hands on his long gold staff, glancing around warily. Inuyasha pulls out his sword which transforms in his hands as he does. Kagome strings her bow with an arrow, but she doesn't move from Lee's side even though she sits up in anticipation.

"What now?" Inuyasha snaps.

As his words leave his mouth, the earth splits open with a terrible groan, as if the earth itself is crying in pain, a great mound of twisting grass and roots snake into the air! Swirling and tying into knots and braids, arms, claws, and a head emerge and take form on the monster's body!

"_Ah! Food!_" The earthy demon grumbles in a deep, trembling voice. "_My master has fed me well!_"

"Master?" Lee mumbles, climbing shakily to her feet. Kagome takes hold of her arms to hold her up.

"What is that thing?" She shrieks.

"Who cares? Its life is going to end here!" Inuyasha answers.

"I agree." Sango takes her battle stance on Inuyasha's other side, while Miroku joins him on his other. She lifts her boomerang-like weapon, and throws it at the beast! "Hiraikotsu!"

The weapon zips at the beast, slicing off its arm in one hit!

"Alright, Sango!" Kagome exclaims.

"Gotcha!" The demon slayer laughs.

Suddenly the arm is pulled to a stop before it can fall to the ground below! Green slimy veins reach out of the shoulder and attach back to the arm, sewing it back into place!

"What?"

"No way!" Lee yells.

"I'll take him down!" Inuyasha says, leaping into the air. "Wind Scar!"

His attack sliced the monster into three parts like last time, but as the wind subsides, the monster chuckles and the veins slither out and pull the pieces together without any effort at all.

"_That tickled, little half demon man!_" The demon laughs in victory. "_Who will try next?_"

"You asked for it, demon!" Miroku pulls off the beads around his hand. "Wind tunnel!"

A great wind grabs at everything in its path and pulls it into its dangerous black hole! The beast growls and then opens its mouth big and wide, roaring! A thick green fog emerges and is grabbed by the wind tunnel's suction!

"Miroku, close it! That's poison!" Sango screams and Miroku quickly pulls his curse closed before the poison can reach him.

"What now? Nothing works on him!" He demands.

"_Now I will feast on this whole village! I shall eat well tonight!_" The beast's body creaks and groans as it reaches forward…

"Dragon Strike!"

Blue lightning thunders out across the field and engulfs the demon's body! The crack is deafening, causing everyone to cover their ears as they cry out!

"_That has already been tried, little man!_" The demon chuckles, turning to the new guest.

"Miss Lee!" Rin races up and swings her arms around Lee's waist. "Are you okay?"

"Rin? Yeah I'm…" Lee looks up slowly and carefully. Sure enough, he approaches with Jaken following close behind carrying his staff. All those memories she had tried to forget, all those feeling she had tried to ignore, all come flooding back into her as if a dam bursts inside her! She quickly squeezes her eyes shut and turns her head down. "I'm fine." She lies to her little sister, hugging her close.

"Good. I missed you." Rin responds quietly.

"I missed you too."

"Yeah this is all a great warm, fuzzy reunion and all, but why the hell are you here, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha growls.

"Don't speak to him like that, you ungrateful child!" Jaken yells in disgust.

Lee breaks out into laughter. "I missed you too, Jaken!"

Jaken stumbles to get words out of his mouth, obviously caught off guard, but when nothing comes out, he just huff and crosses his arms. Rin joins in on her laughter.

"_Ah, now you have brought me a child to eat as well. I must thank you!_"

Lee jerks. Him eat Rin? No way!

"_Don't even think about it, trash!_" Raye merges out and takes over as their angers merge together for the first time ever!

Everyone, even Sesshomaru turns to the sound of her voice! Kagome pulls Rin away from Lee's body, even though Raye's eyes and voice have replaced hers.

The demon turns to her and glares. "_What does a little human like you expect to do?_"

"Easy, I'm gonna kill you. It's as simple as that." Raye raises her right hand, a flame bursting to life above her palm, and she thrusts it out towards the feet of the demon! The fire circles the beats and then she raises both of her hands out in front of her, palms down, and then raises them towards the sky. The fire responds by spiraling up around the demon, trapping him in a twister of pure fire!

The demon cries out, clawing at the fire feebly, but the blaze doesn't budge or fail against its attempt. Twisting around and bringing her hands down across each other in a flash, Raye forces the fire to fall onto the demon, engulfing it! The demon cries out in pain! The cries get more and more painful until they choke out and die!

After a long moment of waiting, Raye turns back to the flames that now threaten to burn the field to ash and pushes her hands out over the fire, blowing out a breath of air gently. Her breath, no matter how gentle or small or looks, seems to flow out across the fire and blows it out like a candle.

"Wow…" Kagome sighs.

"Impressive."

"Amazing."

"Wow, big sis." Rin smiles proudly.

"My Lord?" Jaken glances up at Sesshomaru who stares off at the girl who he thought he had figured out.

The one he thought had been just any other human girl in the world, the one who only had the ability to tell good, yet confusing stories, now stands before him as someone totally different. She has a different side to her, one that sounds nothing like herself, one that can control this kind of power without even breaking a sweat. Where had he gone wrong in his observation?

With a ghostly and deathly sigh, something breaks inside them and Lee's lifeless body falls to the ground limply!

Darkness swallows her…

* * *

_WOW!_

_How'd ya like that? I told you that a certain character was getting on my nerves and that she would die, but is it who your thinking of? I never said it was Lee, it could be any of the female characters: Lee, Raye, Kagome, Kaede, Sango..._

_Just wait and see!_

_Please read and review! (But please don't be hateful :D )_


	14. Chapter 14

_Okay! This chapter I made especially for everyone who likes to read! It's nice and long for those of you!...And twisty, and mysterious, and romantic-y, and, well...you get the point. I have to say this and the next two chapters are going to be my favorites. You get to discover all the sides of Lee that have never been known...and/or revealed...whatever..._

_I'm rather tired right now so I'm going to let you read this AWESOMENESS chapter while I sleep..._

_Zzzzzzzzz...zzzzzzz..._

_Raye: That's just sad..._

_(AN: The characters/story line of Inuyasha are not mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines!)_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_Chapter 14-

"I have heard of something happening like this before, I believe." Kaede says, hurriedly, placing bowls and plates of different fluids onto the floor around Lee's body.

"Can you fix it?" Rin cries in Kagome's arms.

"I can only try, child. Everyone will have to wait outside, but one of ye must stay and help her back."

"Help her back? What do you mean?" Sango asks.

"Someone must go into this same, soulless like state, enter her body, and find her soul. Something like this only happens to those whose souls become disconnected from the body." Kaede explains, lighting incense to place around the body as well.

"You mean she's dead?" Shippo exclaims.

"Very near to it; she cannot remain this way or she will die for sure. Now, who will go? The person needs a soul strong enough to make the journey there and then make it back. It is not for the faint of heart to undergo."

"I guess-"

"What must be done?" Sesshomaru cuts Kagome off, coming into the door and approaching Lee's lifeless body.

"No way are you doing it, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha snaps, jumping to his feet.

"Maybe it is best that he goes."

"Whose side are you on, Kaede?" Kagome gasps.

"I only speak the truth. He is a full demon and much stronger than any of us here. We need someone of a strong soul."

"Just talk me through whatever needs to be done, human." Sesshomaru says.

"Just lies here then." Kaede responds a little hard. Obviously, she's offended by the demon's lack of kindness. "The rest of you will have to wait outside. Miroku, I think I will need your help as well to create a spirit barrier. We don't want their souls flying off where they don't need to be going."

Miroku sits down on the other side of Lee's body as Sesshomaru goes to lie down on the other side in the exact position that Lee's form is positioned.

"Now, just close ye eyes and let all of ye thoughts disappear. Your mind needs to be blank in order for your soul to find its way to hers. Search for her with your own soul; your ears and eyes will not help ye much in the world ye will be going to." Kaede sits down, legs folded beneath her, on Sesshomaru's other side.

The incense and burning liquids fill his nose as he closes his eyes and clears his mind. Only one thought remains to go away: he's surrounded by humans-the lowest of creatures.

Shaking his mind clear of this last thought, he focuses on his breathing instead of everything else. That's when he hears the older woman and the young monk begin to hum under their breaths as they clasp their hands and begin to pray. Not wanting to think of them, Sesshomaru turns his hearing to Lee's body. It breathes slowly in and out as if not much air is left in its lungs. He knows she isn't here in her body anymore. Something's missing: her soul. She's no longer herself and he has to remember that.

That one conclusion suddenly has him falling! Everything inside him seems to melt away and he falls! The connection he feels to his body breaks and he free falls down into a darkness that stirs even his very soul. He, the dog-demon Sesshomaru, feels a shiver of fear ripple through his spirit.

He hears a voice then.

"_**So you've come then?**" _Her voice is the same one he heard right before Lee's soul disappeared.

His form turns right ways up and he hits a dark ground that he cannot see. Raising his eyes to look around, he spots her for the first time. A dark stone, polished like black marble, raises from the non-existent floor and she sits atop it casually, one knee higher than the other so that one arm can drape across it gracefully. Her fiery red-brown hair flows gracefully around her face and down her back in straight locks. Her bright green eyes blaze like individual fires. Her body glows as if someone has turned on a bright light inside of her; her own personal glow. Her eyes are a little troubled and sad, but a playfulness covers it up almost perfectly.

"And you are?" Sesshomaru calls.

"**_My name is Raye. I am the one inside your girl Lee._**" She smiles gently.

"The human isn't my girl."

"**_Of course she isn't, but because of the feelings I have felt from the child, she will always be 'your girl'._**" Raye smiles even wider as she chuckles and leaps elegantly from her perch. Her red and white kimono top barely covers over her shoulders and her long red kimono pants flare out around her bare ankles. The dress is so uncommon and daring it has Sesshomaru shaking his head.

"You know Lee then. If what you claim is true then you have talked to her." He pushes.

"**_Yes, I have talked to her. Sadly though, I have a feeling she and I will no longer be...here much longer. She's fading fast._**"

"That's why I am here. She needs her soul back inside her body. I have come to retrieve it."

"**_It's not that simple, dear._**"

"Explain."

The sadness that she has been trying to cover up reveals its presence in her eyes as she turns it all towards his gaze.

"**_Because there's nothing here to find. Her soul has shattered._**"

* * *

"You think she'll be okay?" Rin mutters again.

Jaken beats his chest again. "Do not fret, Rin! Lord Sesshomaru will bring her back!"

"If he can." Inuyasha cuts him off.

"Why you-!"

"No he's right Jaken. What if Lord Sesshomaru can't find her? What if he can't bring her back?" Rin's face falls into her hands and she starts to wail.

"No, Rin! That's not true! He'll find and bring her back! Lee's not that far away. Always remember that she's going to be with you forever now. She'll always be right here." Kagome points to the center of the small child's chest and smiles warmly.

"I wasn't kidding though." Inuyasha cuts in again. "I've heard stories of people who ended up like Lee. Very few of them made it back."

"How come?" Sango asks.

"Because all those who died, didn't just leave their bodies. They died because their souls _shattered_. If a soul shatters, there's not much anyone can do to put it back together. The shattered soul has to want to return; if not, then the body dies. At least that's what I heard from the stories my mother told me anyway." Inuyasha closes his eyes in defeat.

"But she'll want to come back! Lee loves us! She cares about us!" Rin cries.

"Of course she does." Sango reassures her.

Kagome and Inuyasha share the same look and thought: but does she care enough to come back and **want** to deal with the pain it causes her?

* * *

"What do you mean shattered?" He continues, trying to swallow the news silently.

"**_I can see you're really torn up about this._**" Raye places her hands on her hips, shifting her weight to her opposite leg. "**_I'm being serious about this. If she remains this way, she will die. On top of that, if she dies, so do I. Just for the record, I don't feel like dying yet if that's alright with you._**"

"Then help me find her." Sesshomaru turns back to her, trying not to notice that she looks a little like Lee herself in the hairstyle and the attitude and the figure. Memories about the night he had held Lee coming flooding back into his mind and he has to turn away again.

"**_There's no finding her. She's s-h-a-t-t-e-r-e-d!_**" Raye growls pronouncing each individual syllable of the word so that he gets it through his skull; secretly thinking that Lee had been wrong to place him so high in her thoughts.

"I can understand you just fine, demon, but that doesn't mean she's dead yet. She has to still be here, even if it means that she's in pieces." This time he turns on her completely, hovering over her with a dark look in his eyes. This demon is just as annoying as Lee is.

"**_Okay, first off, it's Raye. If you can't say my name then at least have the courtesy to acknowledge that I'm a fox-demon. I will never be one of your regular lower-class demons. Got it?_**" Raye passes by him, not at all affected by his death glare, and stares out into the darkness around them. "**_Okay, getting down to business now…_**"

Placing her hands together, she focuses her energy and lets it reach out towards Lee's remaining presence. There's not much left of it, but it still draws the energy out of her and trailing off into the darkness in six different directions. Each trail is a different color: yellow, blue, orange, black, purple, and red.

"**_These trails are pointing to each piece of her soul. It's up to you to choose which one you wish to go after first. Don't take your time; we're on a tight schedule here._**" Raye turns to him and motions for him to choose a path.

Sesshomaru looks down at the paths connected to Raye and disappearing into the darkness around them. Each one looks lighter than the next. The lightest one is the yellow path. It looks like the sunlight on a bright and happy day.

"We take this one." He points to the yellow path.

Raye nods and smiles at him proudly.

Together they walk off into the darkness. They don't speak to each other except for the occasional question from Raye every once in a while. Sesshomaru tries to ignore how much the two are alike, but the thought sneaks into his thoughts every time the woman speaks. Raye tries to ignore the fact that every time he answers one of her questions half-heartedly, she remembers how those simple answers had made Lee feel back then.

They travel over many weird terrains in the world of souls, watching the other lost souls float around pointlessly through the air. They approach a giant doorway and pass through it to the other side, the world around them changing instantly as if it was melting away to reveal the real world it was hiding. The sun shines brightly here, warm and beautiful like a spring day. The yellow trail abruptly ends at their feet.

"**_Well, that's not good._**" Raye says, glancing nervously down at the place where the trail hangs in the air with nowhere to go.

Sesshomaru ignores the trail and walks to the edge of the ledge to look over the side. The world ends! It doesn't go any further! It looks like they stand on a floating piece of rock.

"**_Now what?_**"

Sesshomaru glances over at her with an annoyed expression. Raye shrugs. "You are not much help."

"**_That's why I asked you, I don't have much help to give._**"

"_Just jump!_" Comes a small voice. Out of nowhere, a small child in a bright yellow kimono rushes past them and leaps into the air! Her voice is high and childlike, full of the happiness of youth. The small girl lands on another floating rock nearby and then jumps again and again farther and farther out into the floating rock field.

"**_Please tell me you see that too…_**" Raye points dumbfounded at the laughing child.

"Lee." Is all Sesshomaru says before leaping in a flash after the child. Raye rushes after him.

"**_Hey, Lee!_**" She calls out.

"_Yes?_" The small child version of Lee stops on a floating rock not far ahead, but continues to pace in her spot.

Sesshomaru lands beside her.

"**_Hold up a second, will ya?_**" Raye finally lands too.

"_I can't, I have to keep moving._" She smiles.

"**_Why?_**"

"_I don't want to disappear. I can feel myself disappearing slowly every time I stop. If you want to play with me then keep jumping._" Smaller Lee is about to take off again, but Sesshomaru reaches out and tugs her into the air and into his arms, wrapping his grip around her knees so that she has to look down into his eyes. "_Stop! I have to keep moving!_"

"Don't you want to go back to Lee?" He asks her.

The small child stops struggling and her form flickers as if she's not really there. "_Lee…She used to never be that close to me, but for the last couple of weeks she has been. She always used to think about you and she'd be happy even though she didn't know it. It's because of you. You make her happy._"

"**_You're her Happiness._**" Raye states in matter-of-fact tone.

"_Yeah, but not anymore; she's disappearing and she won't listen to my voice anymore. I can't be a part of her anymore._" Small Lee smiles through her sadness and continues to speak. "_She has chosen to remain sad and she'll fade sad too._"

"You are part of her soul, so part of the decision is still yours." Sesshomaru tells her.

"_It is?_" She asks, a bit of hope returning to her eyes.

"**_Yeah, it does. You are her, whether she wants it or not. You make up a vital part of her, so you can return to her._**" Raye places a hand on his arm and smiles up at her.

Child Lee glances at Raye for a long moment and then a bright as sunshine smile lights up her face and suddenly she doesn't look so transparent. "_You know, you two also make up a vital part of her happiness too._"

Leaning down, she kisses Sesshomaru directly on his moon tattoo on his forehead and then disappears in a flurry of sparkling lights into the sky.

"**_Aww, that's so cute!_**" Raye nudges him with a teasing smile. Sesshomaru sends another glare at her and she coughs. "**_Anyway…shall we move on?_**"

As they turn around, the floating rocks around them shift and bump into each other as they move to form a bridge back to the doorway they had come through.

"**_Okay, this place is weird._**"

* * *

They stop after a long walk through a desert like place when they approach a giant crater in the earth. Staring down into the crater, they spot a form sitting in the darkness, curled up in a ball. The form doesn't move a muscle even when Raye calls out to it.

"**_Hey, you? Are you another part of Lee's soul?_**"

The form in the bottom, at the end of the glowing orange trail, calls back without much heart. "_Yeah, I guess._"

Raye glances at Sesshomaru who doesn't move before sliding down into the hole. He follows after her a moment later. "**_Good, well we need you to return to her, so she'll be herself again and not die._**"

"_She doesn't want me back. She won't listen to me anymore. Who would want to listen to me?_" The form answers.

"Which one are you?" Sesshomaru asks.

"_I'm her Confidence._"

"**_That explains a lot. I was wondering why you sounded so uncaring. So what's your problem? Is Lee feeling unconfident?_**" Raye rolls her eyes.

"_Pretty much. She's never had much confidence._" The form moves then, standing up. This Lee is a few years younger than Lee really is and her eyes are down cast and uncomfortable making her seem smaller than she really is. She wears an orange kimono much like the one Lee and her child form had worn. "_All her life she's been unconfident, but lately I could feel her confidence grow. The last thing I remember before all this happened was her confidence suddenly fall again and then being broken apart. Her confidence fell right after she saw you._" She points an accusing finger at Sesshomaru.

"**_What else are you gonna cause?_**" Raye glares at him.

"You need to return to her. She can't die here." He ignores Raye's comment.

"_I just said she won't listen to me. I give up. I can't reach her anymore._"

"**_Well, you could use a confidence boost._**"

"_Funny._" The younger Lee answers Raye sarcastically. "_I'm sorry that I'm not as strong as you._"

"**_You can be if you had more confidence in yourself. Come on!_**" Raye loses her patience and stomps off.

Sesshomaru takes a step forward. "If you don't return, you will die here too. Do you want that?"

"_No, but what can I do? I can't even speak up for myself, or speak my mind, or tell anyone how I feel. The world makes me feel so small. I couldn't survive out there anyway. You saw that better than anyone, remember?_" Sadness touches her eyes through her down cast stare and her voice starts to cry.

"Stop crying. It gets you nowhere." Sesshomaru snaps.

The other Lee glances up in surprise.

"If you keep saying that to yourself then you really will get nowhere in your life; you have to keep moving and have confidence that you will get stronger."

The other Lee turns her eyes down and goes silent.

"_You know, I thought Lee would let her sadness swallow her,_" She turns her eyes back up, "_but I won't let her choose that path anymore. I'm going to keep trying until she listens to my voice again!_"

"**_That's my girl!_**" Raye smiles proudly from her place above them at the edge of the crater.

Sesshomaru nods.

The younger Lee starts to climb out of the hole, but then stops and turns back around to face him, the confidence returning to her face and the sadness washing away. "_You know I'm not confident enough to say how I feel right now, but one day I will be!_" Quickly, she leaps up and kisses Sesshomaru on the mouth and then vanishes in an explosion of sparkling lights.

Sesshomaru stares up into the sparkles as they disappear; lost in his thoughts.

"**_Dang, you just Mr. Popular with the ladies, aren't ya._**" Raye growls when he finally joins her at her side.

"Jealousy isn't a positive thing." He responds.

"**_Well, gloating isn't all that good either!_**" She snaps. "_**Just pick your stupid path already! I'm getting tired of standing still.**"_

He looks down at the remaining paths: blue, purple, black, and red. Red is fading now, so he points to that one.

Raye doesn't respond as she starts walking, following the red path to their next piece of Lee's soul. The crater fills in as they walk across it, becoming even ground again. Even though they got the other pieces to go back to her, it doesn't mean Lee will take them back. It's up to her to make that decision.

* * *

"Why?"

"**_I already told you why! I'm tired of walking and I don't think I can make it around those mazes, so you're going to have to find the next one alone. We're running out of time, so hurry up. All you need to do is follow the red trail; it should lead you straight to her._**" Raye had said.

Sesshomaru had accepted her decision to stay behind and he had continued on, following the trail of red light twisting its way through the maze he now travels. With each turn the trail becomes lighter and lighter and he wonders if it'll vanish before he finds the piece of Lee's soul that's hiding here, but the trail suddenly comes to an end and a woman's voice floats over to his ears. It's soft and beautiful, but so familiar. He finds his body moving towards her against his will. Turning a corner again, he spots a woman lying out across a stone bench, staring out dreamily towards the light blue sky. Her legs are crossed and hang off the end of the bench, brushing the soft grass below her. Her deep pink kimono is longer like a flowing dress around her ankles. Her brown hair, longer than Lee's, lies in soft curls around her head and pool over onto the ground, threading into the flowers. A few butterflies flutter around her happily as she softly sings her poem out loud without a care.

She looks a few years older than Lee, but the same features still reside in that face.

"_You made it through the maze I see._"

"Yes." He answers, resisting the urge to go to her voice. "You are?"

"_You don't know? You brought me alive the first time you touched her. She never felt love before you, not this love anyway. She loves her mother and brother dearly, but that love never changed until you came along._" The older, beautiful woman sits up, dropping her small hands into her lap, her fingers wrap gently around a very familiar blue flower. "_I am her Love._"

* * *

_Zzzzzz...zzzzzz..._

_Raye: ...Let's just let her sleep for now shall we? Anyway, yes Lee is dying, yes her soul is shattered and in pieces, and yes if we don't hurry she'll die. Right now though I just don't feel well enough to go into details so you'll just have to wait 'til she wakes up for the next chapter._

_Raye: Please read and review! (But please don't be hateful :D )_


	15. Chapter 15

This next chapter, chapter 15 (Yeeeee!), is as long as God-knows-what! I made it especially for all of those who have kept with me for sooo long! I'm going on an uploading spree because I don't know when I'll be able to write again. I'm trying to finish watching Inuyasha so I can finish the story and make it parallel with the actual show, but right now I haven't had the time to watch it. I will try to finish ASAP, so please bare with me.

_Also in this chapter, more Inuyasha torture, yay!, and more fluff, but not much. I decided, after that last incident, that I'm going to get away from the romance and work more on the adventure genre. Sorry to all those fluff lovers out there._

_Anyhoo, this chapter will reveal my decision on whether to kill off the certain character or not. While I was writing this chapter I was having second thoughts, so I had to change the story line around some._

_Read and enjoy!_

_(AN: The characters/story line of Inuyasha are not mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines!)_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 15-

"She…" For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru is wordless. He's never been stopped in his tracks. He's never had his mind go blank. He's never…seen this side of Lee before.

"_She needs me back? I know, but she has denied me. She doesn't wish to feel my emotion anymore. She's chosen to accept the sadness that surrounds her, but pretty soon there won't be enough space left even for that emotion. She'll disappear for good._" This woman says gently.

"She'll die." He responds mostly to himself, letting the reality sink in.

"_Yes. What will you do when she's gone?_"

"Nothing, it does not concern me." Sesshomaru answers quickly, turning away from her and giving her his back.

"_It doesn't?_" When he doesn't answer her, the woman sighs in defeat, sadness touching her sweet voice. "_I really hope you can find someone one day who you will truly love you. She wants this too, more than anything. It's the last thing I felt from her before we were torn apart._"

"She wastes her time."

"_Maybe because she cares, more than you know, more than you will let her. For me to return to her, for her to accept me back, her love must be accepted. Love isn't always one way. It can be different forms. Do you know that she hasn't had a single friend in her entire life?_"

Sesshomaru turns back to her.

"_That's right. You were her first true friend. You, Rin, and Jaken; you accepted her even though she was different. You should be proud._" The woman smiles gently and he can see Lee there in that smile.

He doesn't answer her he just turns his back to her again, trying to ignore her.

"_Will you take responsibility for being her first friend?_" She asks, getting to her feet and walking over to him. She places a hand on his shoulder and stops in front of him. "_Will you accept her love, her friendship?_"

Sesshomaru thinks about her words. Lee thought of him as a friend. Her first friend; and yet Rin quickly became her sister. How is that possible? Who would take the time or waste the effort to try and get to know him? No one has ever called him a friend; no one until her.

"She…is."

"_She is what?_"

"A friend."

The woman smiles brightly, the sadness in her voice gone, and she gently leans over to kiss him on the hallow above his collar bone. "_She really does…love your heart._"

The older Lee disappears in a flurry of sparkling lights just like the others had. The butterflies vanish and the maze around him disappears, leaving only a straight line road leading back the way he had come through a field of flowers.

"**_Did you find her?_**" Raye asks, lifting her head out of her hands, as he approaches.

"Yes."

"**_You sound…different. What happened? Did you get kissed again?_**"

"No." He says truthfully. He hadn't gotten kissed. Not on the mouth anyway.

Raye brings the remaining trails left out again. "**_They're starting to fade faster. We need to hurry._**" Sadness taints her voice.

"Then let's hurry."

Sesshomaru heads off with her following close behind into the darkness.

* * *

Kagome enters slowly into the room. Kaede and Miroku have their heads inclined, praying intently. Sesshomaru lies beside Lee in an identical position, breathing as if they're asleep. The only difference is in Lee. Her skin has started to turn deathly pale. She breathes weaker and much shallower than before.

"Sesshomaru, please hurry." She whispers her own silent prayer.

* * *

"**_We're lost._**" Raye glances around in all directions into the deep fog. The black trail had led them here and now it was gone. It's impossible to see anything within three feet of them. "**_Got any good ideas?_**"

"No." He answers, moving to start walking again. Raye grabs him by the kimono sleeve.

"**_Don't go walking off into that fog! If we get separated, there's no telling how much time we'll be wasting trying to find each other again. We can't afford that right now._**" Her face suddenly looks really stressed and pale.

Sesshomaru sees this and grabs her hand. "Then keep up." He says, pulling her along behind him, refusing to be gentle or wait for her to say anything.

As they continue through the fog, a voice thick with anger speaks to them. "_What the heck do you want here?_"

They stop.

"**_Are you a piece of Lee's soul? If you are then let's get this over with quickly because we don't have much time left._**" Raye calls out impatiently.

"_Don't say that fools name around me! She has no use for me so I don't want to have anything to do with her!_"

"**_Oh how terrible. Please tell us how we can help._**" Raye rolls her eyes and sighs. This routine is getting old fast.

"_Don't get all sarcastic with me brat!_"

"**_What's got you all mad?_**"

"_I'm her Anger, what else?_" The mad voice yells.

"**_So…you're biting my head off because of something she's done?_**" Raye asks, pulling Sesshomaru along as she walks towards the voice. The fog clears a little and a silhouette starts to form. A female form rolls over on a rock and sits up, leaning her arms.

"_No! I'm biting your head off because I'm peeved off from what I've done! Why aren't you getting this?_"

"**_Okay, my bad. Might I ask what it is that you've done that's so wrong?_**"

"_Simple, I exist! If I didn't exist then my negativity wouldn't be waiting to poison her! Anger is what poisons the mind; it leads to hate and darkness! If I didn't exist none of that would be threatening her! It wouldn't be causing the sadness that's eating away at her now._" The girl snaps, a dark sadness twisting into her words.

Raye and Sesshomaru finally come into view and take in the girl before them.

It's the closest to Lee that they've seen up until now. The only difference is this Lee is the black kimono color, the darker color in her eyes, the shadows under her eyes, the darkness of her hair, and the dusky color of her skin. She looks so much like darkness.

"**_So let me get this straight. You're mad at something that has two different sides to it? You know you shouldn't focus on only the negatives in life. Then you'll always be mad._**" Raye shrugs.

"_How can anger have a positive side?_" The dark Lee yells, throwing her hands into the air and plopping back down onto the rock in an Indian-style seating position and giving the two her back.

"**_A negative anger would be getting mad because you didn't win a game or getting angry because you didn't get invited to a party. A positive anger would be being angry at someone who abuses an animal because that's wrong. A positive anger would be feeling angry at someone who makes fun of someone because they're different. Those are the positive sides. The way you look at anger is in a negative way. You can let your anger towards those who do wrong fuel your strength so that you can stand up to those wrongs and defend what is right. Not all anger is bad. Do you understand?_**" Raye points out, letting her voice smooth out and become gentle and understanding.

The dark Lee turns around slowly, her eyes thoughtful and a little brighter than before. "_But how can I tell that to her. She won't listen to me. She won't understand._"

"**_Maybe she won't, but will you let that get you angry?_**" Raye smiles with a shrug.

The dark Lee glances at the ground, thinking for a long moment. "_No way!_" She exclaims with a proud smile, jumping down from the rock. "_I'll keep at it until she and I both understand it more fully!_"

She skips over and hugs Raye close and then gives Sesshomaru a long look. "_Anger isn't always bad, but it can cause pride to force people apart._" After she says this, she plants a soft hard kiss on his cheek before disappearing into a bunch of sparkling lights.

The fog around them melts away and reveals a dew covered field with the sunshine shining down on them from above. A few rocks sit here and there in the taller parts of the grass and Sesshomaru takes the chance to sit down and think.

"**_I don't think resting is a good idea right now. Time is kind of short at hand right now._**" Raye glances around urgently.

"I need to think." Is all he says, bluntly.

"**_Think about what?_**" She puts her hands on her hips again, growing anxious again.

He doesn't answer.

Raye stares down at his face, smooth and collected, but finds something there that wasn't there before she met him. He's worried, even if it's only a little! Her eyes soften and she sighs.

"**_I need you to do me something._**"

When he looks up at her she continues.

"**_You have to promise me that you won't give up on Lee. Promise me you won't let her die._**"

Sesshomaru stares at her as she turns her eyes down to stare at the ground sadly. Something clicks then and he glances off at the two remaining trails: one blue, the other purple. The purple one is now starting to fade.

All the past pieces had said something about sadness and Lee being together. Is it possible that...

"You've only known the human for a couple of weeks and already you care about her." It isn't a question, but Raye answers anyway.

"**_Yes. She's...like a sister to me. No, more like another part of me that I didn't know I was missing. Now that she's almost gone, I feel like I've lost that part again. It's...really sad._**" Raye rubs her right arm absentmindedly.

Sesshomaru lowers his eyes and chuckles without a smile.

Raye hears this and smiles. "**_Since when do you laugh? I've never heard you laugh before._**" She crawls over beside him and touches his face. "**_She really has started to change you too, hasn't she?_**"

Swiftly and softly, she leans down closer to him.

* * *

Sesshomaru's arm twitches again and Kagome looks up from her place by the door. When she sees that nothing has changed, she lowers her head again in distress. Already in this short time, Lee's body has begun to get even worse. Her skin is pale white and no doubt ice cold. Kagome knows from experience that when skin starts to lose its color then the body's temperature usually drops low too, but she can't be sure because Kaede and Miroku's prayer has formed a barrier around their bodies.

It's been nearly six hours and things have only gotten worse. If they don't change up soon then, Lee will die. For good.

* * *

"**_Look._**" Raye says pointing ahead towards the archway that they approach. Everything around them is pitch black except for the hazy blue light that shines from the other side of the hill behind the huge doorway. Coming towards them as they head towards the light is a shuddering for with its arms wrapped around its self and twitching its head this way and that as if it's afraid something will pop out any second.

They stop and let the form come the rest of the way towards them, but then form pauses for a second glancing up as if it sees them and then races at them!

The girl looks terrible! Her dark purple kimono is pulled tight around her, black legging underneath hug her legs with a few holes in them, and her short brown hair hangs straight around her face in sweat locks!

"**_Eww. Talk about in need of a shower._**" Raye says backing a step away as the girl comes stumbling up, throwing her arms around Sesshomaru.

"_Please help! She's lost all of her fear now! She's cast me out! She's no longer afraid of the death that approaches her now! Please go to her! I cannot survive out here on my own! I need to be with others. I'm afraid! Please, please...please!_" The girl who looks the same age as Lee begs. She looks up into the great demon's eyes with such sadness that he doesn't stop to think about his actions. He wraps his hands around her arms and stares back down at her.

"You are her Fear."

"_Yes. I am the Fear that resides in her soul. I know my purpose still because I am not lost like the others. I have just been cast from her so I still know why she needs me. Without fear, you cannot learn to overcome the things that scare you. You cannot grow in life and you will never be able to overcome the challenges that life brings. I still know why I exist and I only need to hear from you that you will help her, that you will make her hear our voices again. Please!_" Fear pleas.

"Take us to her." Sesshomaru answers.

Fear's face loses all the sadness and loss and begins to glow with hope. Her hair becomes smooth and clean, her dark purple kimono turns a light violet and the holes in her black legging repair themselves. Right before their eyes, Fear becomes beautiful again.

"_Thank you! Please hurry! She's not too far from you now!_" She tells them pointing off towards the blue light beyond the archway, before vanishing in an eruption of sparkling lights.

Sesshomaru takes off with Raye not too far behind. As they pass under the archway, everything shatters!

The world around them begins to quake violently and the darkness, with everything in it, begins to break away and disappear like breaking glass! The archway crumbles right behind them, narrowly allowing them to escape!

"**_We have to hurry! Death is coming! Now!_**" Raye yells over the noise, looking oddly paler than before. Her breath comes faster than normal and her bright green eyes start to dull.

As they reach the top of the hill they come to a stop and both of them gaze in amazement!

All of them had come. Happiness, Confidence, Love, Anger, and Fear. They all stand in a wide circle with their arms stretched out facing the darkness that comes crashing towards them as if they are guarding the bright glowing blue sphere in the center. The sphere swirls and tumbles around the shape like wind.

"_Hurry!_" Happiness, Lee's younger self, cries out urgently.

Sesshomaru approaches them and Happiness and Love open a gap for them in their arms so that he can pass through towards the sphere.

He sees her then. Lee.

Floating in the center of it all deep in the sphere with her body drawn up as if she fell asleep in a ball. Above her, still fighting to hold on to her is another version of Lee, the same age, the same looks, only her kimono is white as snow and her eyes are deep blue like tears. Her face is torn like someone who found out that the saddest news. She looks up and stares deep into his eyes.

"_She's letting go of it all now. I can't seem to get her to listen to me anymore. She's almost ready to let me go too. Please make her listen. Get her to accept us once more._" The girl says with a voice so deep in sadness that Sesshomaru fights the urge to scream her name out loud.

"You...are her Sadness." He says calmly instead.

"_You are correct._" She smiles through her tears that now stream down her face.

Turning back to the Lee he knows, the one before him looking pale as death already, he reaches out to test the churning winds around her. They become angry when his hand comes near and he pulls away before they can harm him.

"_You must try harder! You must truly want to save her if you wish to enter here! Do you want it or don't you?_" Sadness cries.

Sesshomaru stares once more into the sleeping colorless face of the one he had met not too long ago. She had had the nerve to glare right back at him whenever he said something to tick her off or throw her off guard. She had allowed him, a demon, to protect her. She had, without an effort, touched his soul even when he fought her off. She was the one who had caught him. Did he really want that? To be tamed by a human?

"_You also make up a vital part of her happiness too._" Happiness whispers.

"_I'm not confident enough to say how I feel right now, but one day I will be!_" Confidence murmurs.

"_She really does…love your heart._" Love speaks softly.

"_Anger can cause pride to force people apart._" Anger sighs.

"_She's not too far from you now._" Fear mumbles.

"_Do you want it or don't you?_" Sadness repeats.

Taking a deep inhale, Sesshomaru glares into the wind and growls under his breath. "I will have what I want."

Exposing his claws, he tears into the wind and disappears into a world of white!

* * *

"Inuyasha, SIT!" Kagome screams!

"OUCH!" The white haired half-demon hits the ground hard. "W-what'd I do? I was just sitting here?" He asks after the girl had just randomly stormed out of the hut and used the command he most dreaded on him. She stomps away down the street. "Hey, I asked you a question!"

"Because I can, alright? I can do it whenever I want! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT!"

The hole left behind in her wake is still there to this day...

* * *

"Lee." He says, his voice echoing off around him in this world of white. Before him, sitting on the ground with her back to him, is Lee. She wears a dress of white with long sleeves that flow out around her arms and has a wide circle neck line. Her pale skin makes her seem like she's a part of the dress itself. There's no color or depth in the picture before him.

"Why are you here?" Her voice is flat and emotionless, much like his.

"You need to return to your body. If you don't you'll die."

"So? Why do you care?"

He doesn't respond. He doesn't know how to respond.

"So you don't. I should've figured. Go back before this place collapses too. Inuyasha really needs all the help he can get to kill Naraku and I know that's something you really want done. Death promised to make the pain go away, so I invited him to come not too long before you showed up."

"_And I am here to keep that promise, Lee._" A voice as smooth as silk threads into their conversation easily.

Lee jumps to her feet quickly, still not turning to look at Sesshomaru.

A dark figure with dusky skin and all black clothing appears about three feet before her. "_All you need to do is take me hand._"

"And I'll be better?" Lee asks urgently.

"_Yes._" He says, giving her a smile so inviting Sesshomaru almost wanted to believe him too.

"You won't be better." He says quickly.

"Again, you don't care." Lee responds to his words with no emotion.

"If I didn't care I wouldn't be here."

"You just want me to go back so you can continue to toy with my emotions. That's all you care about. That's all you want."

"Then why did Raye come too." Sesshomaru growls.

Lee's back stiffens. "R-Raye...?"

"_Ah, yes, the demon who poisoned your thoughts. You have been released from her remember? Now you can make your own decisions, you can choose to end your pain._"

"But do you want to cause the pain for others?" Sesshomaru cuts him off.

Lee turns a little then, still staring at the ground. "Others?"

"Raye, your family back home, or any of those other friends you've made here. Rin would be affected by your decision too."

She glances up and her blank, dull, light blue eyes stare back at him. "Rin. My sister."

"Yes."

"_You should remember that if you come with me now, she would one day join us anyway. She will have to meet me in the end too just like everyone in the world. It's inevitable._" Death threads his voice again, more slick than before. He shoots a sharp, black-eyed, glare at Sesshomaru, but smiles again when Lee turns back towards him. "_All you need to do is take my hand, Lee, and all of this pain will be over._"

"It's not your time yet. Return. You are strong enough to handle the pain. You can grow stronger through it." Sesshomaru tries again.

For the first time in his life, he starts to feel like he's losing something. It doesn't feel right. He hates the feeling and he doesn't want it!

"Return, Lee!" He calls.

Upon saying her name, she spins full around towards him, her eyes wide in shock, and her mouth hanging slightly open in surprise. "You...you said my name."

Sesshomaru closes his eyes and turns his head down.

"Admit it! You said my name!" A smile returns to her face and suddenly she doesn't look so pale. "Say it!"

Sesshomaru faces her again, taking in the smile that now adores her face. "Yes I did, Lee."

Raising her hands to grip the front of her dress, she pauses for only a second before running to him and swinging her arms around his body.

Death screams and disappears. "_NO!_"

After a long moment, Lee looks up into Sesshomaru's face. "Did you mean it? Do you really think I'm strong? I'm really tired and I don't think I have the energy to get back."

"You will if you take back the parts of your soul that you cast out. They will help you return." He responds.

"Are you sure? Will they come back? I was mean to throw them away like I did. What if they don't want to come back?"

"They are a part of you. If you want them to come back, then they will want to return."

Lee lets him go and then takes his hand before he can argue. "I'm really glad I chose you as a friend." She then closes her eyes and concentrates on the emptiness inside her. How does she call her soul back? It's in pieces.

"_You just have to accept us!_" A small voice exclaims.

Suddenly things become really loud and Lee opens her eyes. She's standing in a world of darkness that seems to be crumbling away as it quakes angrily! Familiar forms stand around her staring at her, waiting. Sesshomaru is a step behind her.

The small voice comes again and Lee turns to a smaller version of herself when she was a kid. "_All you have to do is accept us._" She repeats.

Lee smiles and nods. "But I'm so weak."

"_It's because you've lost your Strength._" Another version of her explains. This one wears a black kimono.

"Huh?"

All of the versions of her, point to a bright green trail that leads off towards the edge of the darkness. It ends at the fallen body of a very familiar person. She has never once seen her, but Lee knew exactly who she was. The empty hallow deep inside her cries out!

"RAYE!" Lee races over to her with all the power she can find within herself and stumbles to a fall beside the girl who shares some of who she is. "Raye? Raye, please! Answer me!"

"So she is your Strength." Sesshomaru leans down to hold Raye up in his arms.

The demon's eyes slowly open weakly. Her face is pale and frail. "**_Lee...you're okay?_**" She asks.

"Yeah, Raye, what about you?" Lee asks, trying to smile through her tears.

"**_I don't think I am. I...think something's wrong with me._**" She responds.

"Raye, you're not okay because you're not connected to me anymore. You have to return to me. You're my Strength." Lee explains.

"**_What are you talking about?_**"

"Raye, you're a part of me. I always felt incomplete, but now I understand. Didn't you feel that way?"

"**_Yeah, but I always thought it was because I wasn't with a mate of something. You know, like the humans say about soul mates?_**"

"It is because of that too, but I bet that you felt drawn to Sesshomaru too, didn't you?" Lee chuckles.

"**_Well,_**" Raye glances up at him. "**_Yeah, sort of. I mean, I can understand why you placed him so high in your thoughts; he's a really good kisser._**"

Lee shuts her mouth and glances at him, accusingly.

"**_But don't hold it against him, Lee. I jumped him, not the other way around._**"

"You're such a flirt."

"**_Don't knock it 'til you try it, darling._**" Raye chuckles, before coughing up a storm.

"Raye? Will you please return to me? I can't survive without my Strength." Lee smiles down warmly at the one who had become so close to her in such a short amount of time. The one she could always count of to get her out of trouble and have the strength to do it.

"**_Don't have to ask me twice._**" Raye reaches up and they lock hands, a bright green light starting to glow from between their palms. They stand up together and close their eyes.

"_Do you accept your Happiness?_" The little girl calls happily.

"I do." Lee responds. Little Lee becomes a warm yellow light that descends on them. Happiness fills her once more.

"_Do you accept your Confidence?_" A slightly younger version of her asks strongly.

"I do." She responds. The other Lee becomes an orange glow that descends on them. Confidence fills her once again.

"_Do you accept your Love?_" The older, beautiful Lee asks warmly.

"Yes." She smiles. The woman becomes a soft pink glow that falls on them. Love fills her once more.

"_Do you accept your Anger?_"

"Yes." Lee chuckles. The darker version of Lee becomes a beautiful silver glow and falls on her. Her anger returns with a rush of power.

"_Do you accept your Fear?_"

"Definitely." Lee answers. The other Lee becomes an aluminous violet glow and falls on them. Her fears return to her.

"_Do you accept your Sadness?_"

"Yes." Lee replies. The white version of Lee becomes a gentle blue glow and cascades down on them. Her sadness returns.

"_Do you accept your Strength?_" Raye asks with a smile, her voice becoming softer like the others.

"Absolutely." Lee smiles back.

Raye becomes a bright green light that surrounds her, filling her, and becoming her, and instantly the other pieces of her soul don't seem that heavy anymore. She smiles, glad to be feeling herself again, but then a rush comes over her and she falls.

* * *

Kagome enters the hut again after calming Rin down once more and glances around. Nothing's changed.

Then she glances at Lee and gasps. Her skin color has returned, her breathing is returning to normal and her hand clasps Sesshomaru's tightly! Lee had moved!

Around her neck, the Sacred Jewel starts to pulse and glow. As she looks down a soft purple glow begins to form around Lee's body as well. Kagome tries to turn around, but the jewel tugs at her neck, refusing to move. Staring at it in shock, Kagome removes it from around her neck and places it at Lee's feet before running out side in a frenzy.

She doesn't take the time to notice that the jewel and Lee's body start to glow brighter and brighter.

* * *

"Lee? Lee?"

Geez, what now? Lee tries to open her eyes, but she's too sore. The rush of having her soul returned so fast really did a number on her body. She hadn't been ready for it.

"Lee?"

Again a voice calls her name. It's deep and calm, but she can hear the worry hidden behind it. Hands hold her up gently off the cold ground and pull her into warm arms. Lee tries to open her eyes again.

"Sesshomaru..." Her voice answers, she sounds nothing like herself! Her voice is dry and scratchy. "I'm really tired. Can I have a second to sleep?"

"Not here."

"But I'm tired."

She's suddenly lowered again, but not entirely, and he moves a little. Out of nowhere, his lips find hers!

'_Hold it!_' Lee thinks. She's about to push him off her, but then his kiss softens and she melts like ice. What in the world?

Her arms react on their own and she reaches up to wrap her left arm around the back of his shoulder, drawing herself closer to his touch. His body rests close to hers, one elbow resting on the ground so that he can hold her up around her back.

Lee starts to move to free herself, finally coming to her senses, but he wraps his leg over hers to hold her leg to the ground.

"Sesshomaru." She mumbles.

He ignores her and covers her mouth again, kissing her even harder.

"Okay." She forces out. "That's it." She finally reaches up and touches his moon tattoo, effectively getting him to pull back.

"I thought we agreed to be friends?" She growls, staring up at him.

He stares right back down at her. "Yes and a friend is supposed to help out their friends out."

"How is kissing me helping me out?"

He moves and picks both of them up to their feet without any effort at all.

"You're awake are you not?"

He walks away into the darkness and Lee runs after him. "Hey, that doesn't count!"

She grabs his hand as they vanish.

The wind picks up around them out of nowhere! It pulls at their hands, trying to rip them apart and spit them into the darkness around them! Lee loses her grip and flies off into the night! Her screams echo away before he can grab for her again...

* * *

"What's going on? Where…?" Lee falls slowly down into the darkness, a gentle breeze blowing up from somewhere below her. "Where am I…?"

"_**You are safe. I only wish to talk to you before you return. This decision is for you too.**_" A beautiful female voice calls from somewhere in the dark around her.

"Who are you? What are you talking about?" Lee asks. She begins to slow, her body turning right ways up and floating down to a spot of the dark invisible floor.

"_**I am…**_" From right in front of her, a woman with an amazing beauty appears before her. She wears battle armor, even though she's no doubt a human, and a strange mark that looks like a four petal flower is on her forehead. "_**Midoriko.**_"

"Who?" Lee glances down her form, taking in her battle armor and sword.

"_**The sacred jewel of four souls was made by me.**_" She smiles understandingly.

Lee involuntarily reaches up to grab the front of her kimono.

* * *

"So you're awake?" Kagome leans over Sesshomaru's face as his eyes finally open.

He lowers his eyes and glares. "Yes, now move."

"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the spirit world this morning." Sango frowns in disapproval.

He sits up slowly, glancing over at Lee who still remains asleep. She seems alright; her skin isn't pale, her breathing has returned to normal, and her hand is warm. He turns his eyes down to her hand which still grasps his. At first he doesn't move, but then Kagome speaks up again.

"How come she isn't moving? Did you help her or not?" She snaps.

"Lord Sesshomaru, is Lee going to be okay?" A small voice asks. he turns to Rin who has seated herself at their feet.

He nods to her, ignoring the reincarnated priestess.

"Oh, he'll answer her, but he'll ignore me." Kagome stomps back over to the wall and sits down between Sango and Inuyasha.

Rin smiles a little, hope returning to her eyes, and she goes back to staring at Lee's sleeping face.

"She's coming home."

* * *

"_**Lee, now that you know about the jewel, you need to make your decision.**_" Midoriko says after her long explanation of how the jewel came to be in this world. Lee glances up at her when the woman stands up.

"What decision?"

"_**The decision that you and Raye have not yet finished.**_" She holds her hand out to her side and a very familiar form appears beside her, walking out of the darkness.

"Hey Raye!" Lee exclaims, jumping to her feet.

Raye smiles in return, but then looks to Midoriko.

"_**As you now know, Raye is your Strength, and she too has accepted this, but the jewel shards inside of you have one last thing to fuse together. Raye was a full demon nine-tailed fox, but you are only human. If these two sides are not joined then they might cause some problems in your body later on. Your decision rests with the two of you. You must decide of whether to be human or demon.**_"

Midoriko backs away, letting Raye and Lee stand before each other.

Raye had been a demon, a full demon, so she wasn't used to being human. Lee is human, but she's not used to being a demon. The woman is saying they have to choose which one of them would have to suffer?

That's not fair! Lee's face falls.

"_Lee, just stay human. That way you won't have to be all stressed out._" Raye suggests.

"What? But then you'll be stressed out!" Lee argues.

"_Yeah, but I can handle it. I'm Strength remember?_" Her answering smile is almost perfect, but Lee can see she's trying to cover up her sadness again.

Taking a deep breath, Lee turns to Midoriko. "I want...to put them together."

"_Huh?_"

Midoriko smiles again. "_**You wish to become a half-demon.**_" She states.

"Yes, that way we can both be on equal terms." Lee nods.

"_But, Lee!_"

"It's okay Raye. Chill. We can handle this. We can learn together just like we always have."

"_**If this is your wish then I might know someone who can help you.**_"

Lee takes Raye by the hand and together they nod. "Yes, this is our wish."

"_**Very well.**_" The woman smiles even more warmly. They are engulfed in a bright purple light, much like the one the sacred jewel gave off, and Lee and Raye close their eyes against the brightness.

* * *

"I don't understand." Kaede says shaking her head in worry. "Her body and soul have returned, but still she doesn't wake.

Sesshomaru sits indian-style by Lee's head while the others sit around her body. Rin grasps onto his are tightly, refusing to let go, and her small face is pinched in worry.

They all stare down at Lee. She looks like she's just asleep, not moving, but then suddenly, she does.

Rolling over, Lee curls up on her side and everyone in the room sighs!

"She's just asleep!" Kagome exclaims.

"Thank goodness." Sango breaths.

"Yay!" Rin shouts happily.

Sesshomaru sighs again and closes his eyes for a long moment.

"Well, then let's all give her some peace then. It's nearly the middle of the night and we could all use some much needed rest. There is another hut right next door where we will let Sesshomaru and his company sleep for the night." Kaede stands to her feet slowly.

"Can we take Lee with us?" Rin asks.

"It's best we don't move her, dear. She needs her rest just like all of us."

"And she will have it." Sesshomaru gets to his feet and gently picks Lee up in his arms. She doesn't stir one bit.

When people start to object, Inuyasha pulls back the reed door. "Will all of you quit. He won't listen to any of you. We can all see her in the morning when she wakes up, so stop actin' like she's going to disappear."

Sesshomaru, Rin, and Lee all leave, meeting Jaken outside and disappear into the smaller hut next door. They would rest easy tonight, but they would leave early in the morning...at least, that's what Sesshomaru thought.

* * *

_Yay! My hands are so cramped! Whew! Anyhoo, hope you enjoyed and please continue to read the story and let me know what you think! I love all the advice I can get!_

_Please read and review! (But please don't be hateful :D )_


	16. Chapter 16

_Okay, this necx chapter, I can honestly say I slacked off on. I know it's really short, but hey, I'm tired tonight and I don't really feel like typing until my fingers bleed. So you'll have to deal with a short, sad, touching chapter that I thank will make most of you mad at me. Again, don't care because my fingers need a loooooong break._

_Read and enjoy!_

_(AN: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are not mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines!)_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_Chapter 16-

Lee opens her eyes for good this time. She had been awake when they had moved her to this new hut. She had heard their sighs when she faked her sleeping state and rolled over like she was having a dream. She was going to wake up then, but she remembered what Midoriko told her. She had to leave them, all of them, one last time. The good news? She could rejoin them when things were right again inside her, but right now she is far from that.

Sitting up slowly, she looks around. Her new eyes make the darkness seem like day. It doesn't keep her from seeing anymore. Her new hearing picks up their soft breathing, letting her know that they are all, truly asleep. Her new nose picks up the morning dew nestled outside on the grass. Everything is quiet in the whole village. No one move, no one budges. This is the perfect and probably the only chance she will have to do this. She quickly gets silently to her feet and slips outside, glancing back one last time at her friends, her family. Even Sesshomaru sleeps deeply tonight. Lee takes a mental picture of his face, memorizing it, before letting the bamboo door fall behind her. As one last measure, she goes to find something to write on, slipping into the hut where Kagome, Inuyasha and the rest of them sleep soundly too. Kagome's bag sits right next to the door, so it's easy access for her so she can pick through it quickly and find a scrap piece of paper and pencil. Surprisingly, she finds both.

Being as quiet as she can, she slips back over to her previous hut and sets the note back on the bed that they had placed her on.

And that is all there is left to do here. She heads back outside, glances off into the direction that Midoriko had told her to head, and sprints off at a speed that only a half-demon could pull off. The speed makes her smile as the wind pulls at her hair and kimono. At the same time, she can feel herself changing, just like Midoriko said would happen. Her hair falls out of its bun on the back of her head, turning red and then brown at the tips. Her nails extend to claws on her hands and feet. Her eyes become like a cat's, changing color to a bright blue-green. Her ears stretch into points, a little shorter than a demon's would be. Her speed becomes even faster as she flies across the landscape towards the mountains beyond.

There, Midoriko said she would find a sanctuary, a haven for ones like herself, where she could learn fast and safely, without any interruptions, from a teacher not much different from herself.

That is where she will go.

As she runs, her mind rereads the note she left behind for her family to find; a note that would forever be encrypted in her thoughts.

_I'm sorry I have to leave like this, but it's not forever. I will come back, I promise. Please forgive me._

The note had been short sweet and to the point, just like she had wanted.

* * *

_Yes, short and sad, just like I promised, but I'm sure you'll survive._

_I can't help it! I love a good torture! (And no, I don't hate Sesshomaru!)_

_Hope you enjoyed and please continue to read the story and let me know what you think! I love all the advice I can get!_

_Please read and review! (But please don't be hateful :D )_


	17. Chapter 17

_WOW! It's been a while! I just wanted you guys to get a heads up. From this chapter on, the storyline of the Inuyasha TV series is still going to be the same, but I'm going to have to tweek it a tad. I'm still trying to finish watching the series before I try to finish this fanfict, but as I was watching the episodes I saw how difficult it was going to be to squeeze my characters in on the original plot without either leaving out a few scenes or changing it a bit._

_I'm really sorry if some of y'alls favorite scenes are cut out but I will try to keep it as close to the original as possible._

_The only things that really change are the dialogs and smaller scenes. The action scenes are pretty much the same._

_Read and enjoy!_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_Chapter 17-

"Are you kidding me?" Lee snaps, skidding to a stop.

"Well, it's not my fault! You and Ryu are the fastest and we can't keep up. The least you can do is slow it down a bit!" The other girl heaves, finally stopping at her side, doubling over in exhaustion.

"And...why would I want to do that?" She shrugs impatiently with a smile.

"Don't get all sarcastic and smiley! It ain't funny!"

"Okay, okay. Sorry, Aki." Lee chuckles. "Would you like me to carry you...again?"

"Shut up!"

Lee skips away from her rage before the smaller girl can hit her and laughs as she takes off up the mountain again.

"Slow down!" Aki's voice drowns away.

Lee can't help, but giggle to herself. Running has always been her favorite thing since her change about a month ago. It makes her feel like she can leap into the air and fly, but she knows that she can't. She's already tried.

About five minutes later the two reach a river and follow along side it until they reach the base of a huge waterfall, carved into the side of the mountain. They glance around carefully, then skip over the rocks and dive into the cascading current, slipping right through the wall of water. They land one at a time onto the rocky ground of an enormous cave just inside the waterfall. Here their voices carry like echoes on the air.

"You actually kept up pretty good that time." Lee laughs.

"I said: shut up!" She swings at her again, but once more Lee dodges easily.

"Come on, kid. Let's go get something to eat."

They travel deeper into the cave beyond and turn multiple corners before they reach a dead end where a long drape has been hung over the back wall. A tall young demon male stands up as they approach.

"Password."

"Seriously, Daichi? You know us." Aki punches him lightly on the arm.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Password." He grins at her, but then goes serious once more.

"You have to live up to your name, don't you 'wise one'." She huffs.

"Calm down, Aki." Lee chuckles. "The password is hibiki."

Daichi smiles and reaches to pull back the curtain. Behind it is a tall hole in the wall just big enough for a person to slide through. Aki dashes in, followed by Lee. Their cave opens up to a different world. A huge cavern, maybe eight stories high, extends before them. A long house is built off at the back wall and circles the outsides of the cavern, leaving room for a huge training ground in the front wall.

"You know, I never understood why Kiyoshi chose 'sound' as a password." Aki shrugs. "It makes no sense at all."

"Maybe not to you, but to her it does." Lee points out.

"Well, I'm going to stop by my room right quick. Want to spar later?"

"Sure thing, Aki. If you can keep up." Lee races off towards the main house before the younger demon can respond. As she gets to the door, another girl runs up to her. She's a bit shorter with dark brown hair and dark tan skin and bright blue eyes.

"She's off with Ryu right now, Lee. She told me to let you know."

Lee drops her hands off the door and turns to the girl with a smile. This girl is a demon. She's taller than most of the girls here, getting her picked on quit a lot, but she's strong enough to take care of herself. "Thanks, Moriko. Has dinner been served yet? I'm starving!"

Moriko laughs. "No, silly. It won't be ready for another good while. Why don't you go check on the younger students and see how they're doing and I'll come get you when it's done."

She smacks Lee's arm playfully before turning back the way she came and walking off. Lee watches her go before glancing at the doors she was just about to open one last time and then goes skipping down the walkway in the opposite direction. She passes by the first two rooms and then enters the third one right on time. The class has just started and few of the students come scampering in right behind her waving as they pass. The teacher, Sakura, greets her with a warm smile too before she turns to the class. She had once been her teacher as well until she learned all that she could and was then passed on to Kiyoshi who finished teaching her all she needed to know. She still remembers the first day she got here.

Kiyoshi had found her wondering the mountain top and brought her here. She had instantly started chewing the older woman's head off the second she saw her, recognizing her as the woman who had took her uniform and then disappeared from them in that smoke screen. She still wouldn't give Lee her clothes back, saying that the kimono she gave her still flattered her looks better. Over time though, Lee quickly began to like the old woman and they became friends, which entitled Lee to a new outfit that Kiyoshi made just for her: a purple and white kimono top and solid violet kimono pants wrapped closed with a dark purple warp around her waist. The only thing off about the outfit is that one sleeve is cut off short like her last blue kimono while the other flares out around her arm.

Ever since then, she's pretty much warmed up to the mountain life and her new strengths. She had made a few friends while living here too. Aki, the young half-demon fox child with the power over heated light rather than fire itself; Moriko, the demon fox who learned to control the earth rather than any other element; and Ryu, an older fox-demon with a strong ability to change form and use illusions rather than an element. Not all of the students here are fox demons, but a majority of them are. Lee had met a younger student who was a dog demon, like two other people she knew, but the girl had left about a week ago saying she was ready to find her place in the world. Numerous other kinds of demons and half-demons live here together, but it doesn't mean we live happily. Most of the full demons don't like that idea that half-demons are allowed to train here, but Kiyoshi has made it clear to everyone that anyone willing to work is allowed here.

Lee sits down by the door to watch as the younger children follow Sakura's instructions on basic fighting stances, but her mind quickly zones out and she finds herself looking back. She often catches herself doing this and she tries not to, but once in a while she can't help it.

She misses them, all of them. Rin, Kagome, Inuyasha, Shippo,...Sesshomaru. They would have loved this place.

"Lee?"

She pops out of her head and looks up. Ryu leans through the doorway, his hair tangled in a mess.

"Kiyoshi wishes to see you." He smiles.

"Okay."

He leads her back down the walk way towards the main house.

"How was training today? Any easier?" Lee asks.

"Yeah, sorta. It's easier to change into my dragon form but that's only because it was my first form. The smoke illusion is getting easier, but I still can't get the camouflage illusion down yet." His face falls and she can see the defeat in his eyes.

"Hey," Lee grabs his shoulder, "You'll get the hang of it. You can't expect it to come easy. Without the work, you can't get the prize."

"I know."

They stop in front of the doors and Lee opens it up. He nods to her before heading off into the training ground area.

"Lee, close the door and get ye butt in here!" A very familiar voice snaps at her. Lee quickly shuts the door, rolling her eyes and turns around. "How did Aki do? Has her speed improved?"

Lee stops short and thinks back. "Uh..." No, Aki had gotten a little better, but it wasn't that much of jump. She can't tell her that though. Aki is getting better; it's just at a slower pace than the others. "Yeah, she did well this morning. I took her up and down all the routes the mountain has and she did fine...until the last couple of runs." She draws her voice down to a whisper on her last words, hopping Kiyoshi wouldn't hear.

"Last couple? Ye said that last week. Has she gotten better since then or not, Lee?" The older woman raises her eyes out of the clay bowl in front of her and they slice right through Lee's soul.

"Well...yeah...a little..."

Kiyoshi, a woman of beauty even though wrinkles line her face, sighs sadly. "She may need to be dropped back down to her previous class."

"No!" Lee argues back.

"Lee..."

"No, I can work with her! She'll be great by the end of the month, just please give her time!" She pleas.

Again, the woman sighs and goes back to mixing clay inside the bowl. After a long moment of thought, Kiyoshi answers. "Very well, but if she doesn't improve by then, then I will have to drop her back. I'm trusting ye, Lee."

"And you won't regret it." Lee smiles in relief. "So, Ryu said he was getting better with his dragon form..."

"Stop it, Lee. Ye know I don't discuss my students with other students." Kiyoshi smiles.

"Okay, then, would you discuss him with another teacher?" Lee drops down into a seating position in front of her.

The woman stares back at her, deciding whether she should say anything, but Lee puts on her convincing face and she falls to it. "He's doing very well. Every time he changes he gets quicker and faster. I've never seen anyone progress in the art so quickly. Ye on the other hand are a different story. Even though ye haven't been able to use the jewel fragments within, ye have progressed astoundingly as well. If I had not had that vision of ye coming, though, ye would still be stumbling around on my mountain top."

"Hey, you can't hold that against me! I was still new to being a half-demon and I wasn't used to all the smells. I got confused." Lee laughs.

"Of course ye did." She responds with heavy sarcasm.

* * *

"Whew that was good!" Moriko sighs, leaning back against the wall. Lee does the same, finally happy that her belly is full of warm delicious food.

"I'd kill for something sweet though." Ryu laughs from across the table. "I haven't had sweet in weeks."

"Yeah, I guess we could go raid the kitchen tonight and see if the cooks are hiding anything." Lee whispers, leaning over the table.

"Oh, I am so in!" Moriko giggles.

"Same here!" Ryu adds.

Within seconds they have their raid planned out and memorized, so they spend the rest of dinner making jokes about who would get caught first. Their laughter echoes through the room until a few of the teachers come over and shush them.

Out of nowhere, the room doors burst open and Kiyoshi tears into the room, her face torn with fear and anger. She comes over to their table and grabs Lee's hand. "Ye three must come with me now." She hisses low so that only the three of them can hear.

Once outside and out of earshot, Lee starts hammering the shorter woman with questions. "What's going on? Why did you pull only us? I swear we weren't doing anything."

"Maybe she saw a vision of us raiding the kitchen so now she punishing us..." Ryu whispers.

"Agh, I can't get into trouble again! I just got caught sticking honey in a kid's hair the other day!" Moriko whines as she follows us.

"That was you?" Lee and Ryu ask in union, glancing back at her.

"Hurry!" Kiyoshi hisses, effectively ending our playful conversation. She's dead serious, but why? Lee has never seen her this way before. She's always been laid back, but this side of her is all new to Lee.

She drags them all into the main house and then stops at a wall. Pushing back a rug, she stomps on one end of the floor and the other end pops up in response! She pulls back the hidden door in the floor and motions for the, to get in the hole. "Do not come out until everything is quiet. When it is, stay close to the left wall for five paces, turn straight for the right wall and follow it for another five paces. It will lead ye out."

"Kiyoshi, what-?"

"Do not come out until all is quiet!" She snaps again, cutting Lee off. With a small push she has them down in the hole and shuts the door, leaving the three alone in the darkness. For a long while it's quiet. Lee can hear her pull the rug back over the floor and then leave the room, but after that she can't hear anything. In fact, it's the last thing she hears for a while.

"I knew she'd crack one day!" Moriko groans.

"Shut up, Mori!" Ryu growls into the darkness.

"No," Lee says, "Something's wrong. She knows something we don't know and all we can do is trust her." She answers softly, mostly to herself, as she stares through the darkness up at the trap door. Even in this total darkness, her eyes find some source of light and help her to see, but as she turns to look down the long small hall way beyond, the darkness thickens.

'_What should we do now?_' Lee thinks.

"AGH!" A distant scream from above has all of them jumping in surprise.

"What the-?" Moriko reaches up for the trap door, but Ryu grabs her hand.

"Don't! Remember what Kiyoshi said?"

"But someone needs help!"

Lee grabs her other arm. "Stop, Mori! We have to listen to what she said."

Another bloodcurdling scream tears into the night, but it seems so far away. This time an explosion comes with it, shaking everything around them!

"Now what?" Moriko falls to her knees as well as Ryu. Lee grabs onto the wall to steady herself as the tremors rip through their hiding place!

What's going on? Did Kiyoshi foresee a battle? If so, then they should be out there! They need to help!

"_Not if she knew you wouldn't survive if you did._" Raye's voice echoes through her mind; her other half. She would know what to do, she's never lead Lee wrong before.

Above them something crashes into the room and footsteps enter not long after, pausing a few times.

Lee stares up at the ceiling as if she has x-ray vision. She reaches down to tap Ryu and Mori on the shoulders and then motions for them to move back against the left wall like Kiyoshi had instructed them to do.

"Do you see anything in there, Bankotsu?" A voice asks from a distance away.

The voice that answers is deep and beautiful. "No, but we'll take the old woman with us still, just as Naraku wanted." Footsteps walk slowly back out of the room and leave.

Lee tries to hold in her gasp. Naraku? He was the cause of this? Who is Bankotsu, his minion?

"Take me. Do what needs to be done with me, but leave these students alone!" Kiyoshi's voice snaps.

'_Kiyoshi!_' Lee screams in her mind. '_No!_'

Ryu reaches forward and grabs onto Lee's kimono wrap, pulling her frozen body back with them deeper into the hole.

"We have orders, old woman. We take you and leave no one alive. Ginkotsu, do your work." That deep, beautiful voice orders.

"As you command, Bankotsu." A strange robotic voice responds.

"AGH!" Again, another horrific scream tears into the air and more explosions and scream follow it. Fighting struggles break out and they last for what seem like hours before they slowly die off into silence.

"Lee...?" Moriko's voice calls, but that voice too seems so far away.

Why? Why had this evil come to her home? Lee stares off horrified at nothing as she listens to the sounds of the dying battle above her.

* * *

"Lee...I don't hear anything..." Moriko's voice is low, quiet, and nervous. Lee reaches over and rubs her shoulder absentmindedly. She hadn't been able to talk or actually think since the cries had started above, but now it's all gone. The sounds have stopped, the yells and screams have gone silent, and the explosions have ceased. They have sat here for nearly two hours since then, remaining still and quiet; listening and hoping.

"Lee, we have to get out of here. Remember what Kiyoshi told us? We have to leave. Come on." Ryu takes her by the hand and leads both of the frozen girls out of the dark hole, following their teacher's instructions. At the end, he pulls on a small handle and breaks loose a small round door leading out into the darkness beyond. It leads out into the back garden behind the main house. The small pond sits calmly as if nothing had changed, the gold fish swimming around in a circular dance all their own.

At the top of the cavern, the roof of the cave splits open to let in the sky above, but right now, even though the moon shines brightly, smoke from somewhere close by blocks the light as it spills out. Ryu, leads them on around the house, but then they stop as soon as they smell it. Blood. Death.

It's everywhere!

"No!" Moriko cries, ripping loose from Ryu's grasp and running out from behind the house. They follow her, but stop short, taking in the horror before them. Bodies of fellow students and teachers line the ground, piles of smoking debris are thrown her and there, and blood stains the ground!

"NO!" Moriko drops to her knees, her shriek of agony slices through them and Ryu has to lean against the house to keep himself from falling over too. Lee can't move. Her body is stone, cold, dead. She can't seem to gather herself to cry or yell or anything. She just stands there, taking in the death around her and soaking up the horror that had fallen on her home.

It seems like forever before her mind jump starts and her first thought is: '_Naraku..._'

"Ryu, Mori, we have to move. They may come back." Her voice sounds distant to herself as if she's underwater.

"Where? We can't just leave them." Ryu whispers.

"Who did this to us? We haven't done anything to deserve this, so why did it happen?" Moriko sobs.

Lee doesn't answer straight away, but she knows they have to know the truth. They had to know about the one who did this, about the one who had taken their teacher away.

"Naraku."

Ryu and Moriko turn to her slowly.

"It was Naraku." Lee repeats, refusing to pull her eyes away from the devastation around her.

"You sound like you know him, Lee." Ryu says.

A vision of the man she had seen at the cave not so long ago flashes across her mind. Those red eyes are the only thing she can focus on. "I met him...once. He's the one my friends are looking for too."

Ryu glances at Moriko. She stands up and speaks with hatred tainting her voice. "Then we'll find him and kill him for what he did here."

Lee turns to her then, surprised at the tone in her voice. She knew Moriko was right. They had to get Kiyoshi back. They had to find out why Naraku came here of all places and what he wanted. Until then, Lee could never truly feel right again.

Lee looks away and head off to the doorway leading back to the waterfall and they follow after her. As they pass through, they all jump back in repulsion. Daichi's body is help up off the ground against the wall by darts, slashes covering what's left of his corpse. Moriko chokes and turns away, Ryu going to comfort her from the sight. They all had known that Moriko and Daichi liked each other, so this was not good for her to see. Lee rips down the drape that covers the doorway and then goes to lower the boy's body from the wall, laying it out across the cloth so she can wrap it up respectfully. Taking their time, they pull Moriko away gently and out into the clean night air outside the tunnels.

* * *

_This chapter is basically a catch up for everyone so they can know what Lee has been doing and where she ran off to. I also wanted to introduce the fact that she is now a half-demon! Yay!_

_Okay, moving on. Kiyoshi is the woman from the beginning of the story; you know, the woman who jumped Lee and took her school uniform before disappearing into smoke?_

_Yeah, I decided to bring her back in. :D_

_So now Naraku has made yet another group of people mad at him and they too shall hunt him down until he's dead…or until they rescue Kiyoshi. Whichever comes last._

_I also want to thank all those who have reviewed, faved, and alerted the story! You guys rule!_

_I'm also taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and review! (And please don't be hateful :D )_


	18. Chapter 18

_Okay, I'm guessing my story is okay because I've only got one review on this one. Please tell me if it's boring or anything. I'd really like to make it better._

_This chapter brings in the all too well know Band of Seven!_

_Read and enjoy!_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_Chapter 18-

Inuyasha lands smoothly onto the ground, falling to his knees and sniffing at the ground. A few travelers pass by, glancing at him like he's crazy.

"Inuyasha! Will you hurry up? People are staring." Kagome hisses, glancing around nervously at the passing people.

"Why don't you try sniffing through a thousand different scents to find the right one? It's not as easy as it looks." He growls. "His scent is here, I just have to find it."

"Maybe we should go find something to eat while we wait." Miroku suggests.

Inuyasha leaps to his feet and growls into the monks face. "Would you shut up and get some patients! I'm going as fast as I can here, so you don't have to be so pushy!"

"I was just thinking of the girls. They haven't eaten since this morning and they need the nutrients and energy to keep their strength up until dinner tonight." Miroku defends himself calmly.

"Yeah, that or he's thinking of slipping off to that brothel we just passed not too long ago." Sango glares into the monks back. Beside her, Kagome muffles a giggle.

"No of course not!" He spins around, taking the demon slayer by the hands. "I only have my eyes set on you."

She growls low in her throat, pulls out of his grasp, and back hands him into the ground! "Shut up you pervert!"

She and Kagome walk off ahead of them to wait.

"You'll never learn will you, Miroku."

"No probably not..." He groans, rubbing his head.

Two old men walk by and glance at Inuyasha. "Did you see that one? Yeah, he's definitely a demon." One whispers.

"Well at least he doesn't look like that other one. I swear to you, the Band of Seven has come back to life."

Miroku gets to his feet and the two of them stare off at the whispering old men before glancing at each other.

"Band of Seven?" Inuyasha asks.

"I've never heard of them." Miroku answers.

They walk away down the road and catch up to Kagome and Sango.

"Have either of you heard of the Band of Seven?" Inuyasha asks.

"Uh, hello. Not from this era." Kagome points to herself.

"I've never heard this name either, but then again, I'm not from around these parts. Let's go ask someone." Sango goes up to an older woman nearby and sits down. "Miss, can I ask you a few question?"

"Of course, deary, how can I help you?" She smiles warmly at her.

"Can you tell us about the Band of Seven?"

The woman's face falls in fear and she peeks around nervously to make sure no one is trying to listen in. "The Band of Seven you say? They have been dead for a long time, but a few travelers have claimed to have seen the same specters recently. They say that they are ghosts come back to life to continue their killing spree on the world. Back when they were alive, the Band of Seven road out across the land, killing everyone and everything in their path, be it demon or human. They were blood thirsty murderers, the lot of them. Now with rumors that their ghosts have returned, people are moving away from their resting place not too far from here to escape their wrath."

"So wait," Kagome pauses, "They had been buried, but now they're revived? Who would want to revive a group so dangerous?"

"Naraku." Inuyasha states, his voice growling with anger.

"But what purpose would he have in bringing them back to life? He has a nearly completed sacred jewel shard, so what more does he need?" Sango asks, getting to her feet.

"You know how he is. Naraku never likes to get his hands dirty." Miroku answers.

Kagome and Sango glance at each other while Shippo and Kirara do the same near their feet.

"Well, it looks like we're going information hunting." Kagome sighs.

"Then let's go." Sango hops onto Kirara's back, who bursts into flames and grows to her full size, and Miroku hops on behind her, Shippo grabbing onto his shoulder. Inuyasha pulls Kagome onto his back and they take off in the direction that the older woman points to.

* * *

"Wait up, Koga!" Two other wolf demons cry out. Way ahead of them, a whirlwind of dust skids to a stop and glances around.

"Hurry up!"

"Why are we going this way anyway?"

"Because I'm getting a weird smell from over this way and I think it's the specter that everyone's been talking about. It could be Naraku!" Koga speeds off again, not bothering to let the other two have a rest.

"No, wait, Koga!"

"Oh, man!"

The two wolf demons groan and take off again after their leader, not catching the scent of another close by, hiding in the tree tops.

She stares after the three as they disappear into the forest and hops down to the ground.

"Specter, huh? Doesn't sound anything like Naraku, but we might as well check it out."

Two others, a younger woman and man appear behind her.

"Are you sure, Lee?" The girl asks.

"Absolutely." Lee says, staring off after the disappearing forms of the wolf demons.

* * *

Inuyasha stops as the group of soldiers come into view. Well, their bodies anyway. They all lay dead on the ground in layers of blood around a single person, standing in the center of their heaps, observing one of the iron-barrel guns that most of the armies are using nowadays. A curved blade rests on his back as he continues his observation.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha growls.

Kagome hops down off Inuyasha's back and groans. "Eww."

Miroku grips his staff tighter. "Something is off about that man. I can feel it."

Inuyasha takes a step forward. "Who are you?"

The man turns around, gets a good look at Inuyasha and squeals like a teenage girl. "Oh, well aren't you cute!"

* * *

Koga leaps off the giant zombies head as her falls dead to the ground, dissolving into bones and dirt. He holds up a small glowing jewel in his hand, but even from this far off Lee can tell it's a jewel shard.

"That wasn't Naraku. We wasted our time here." Moriko snaps.

"But at least we got to see a good fight. I thought he would die for sure, but that wolf really came through." Ryu chuckles.

"It wasn't Naraku, but we now know that he resurrected this specter. No doubt about it. If we follow this trail, then we'll meet up with him in no time." Lee explains, watching the one known as Koga converse with his other wolf pack members.

"I wonder if your other friends have met up with any of these other specters." Ryu states, glancing curiously at Lee who doesn't seem to be paying attention.

"I think we need to split up for a bit. You two follow Koga and I'll go look for Kagome and the others. I need to let them know what happened here and all that we know."

"Why?" He asks.

"Because they're on the same path we are on now. We can use all the help we can get." Lee stands up and races off, leaving Moriko and Ryu behind to follow the wolves on their own. She knows they can take care of themselves just fine, so she doesn't worry too much about them as she flies and leaps across the landscape. She keeps her nose open searching for Inuyasha's scent anywhere, but nothing comes up. Eventually she crosses a scent path that's quite familiar and she back tracks to find it again. It smells just like that zombie guy that Koga took down; graveyard soil, death, and something else. Something that makes her skin crawl and her nose burn in disgust. Is that poison...?

She takes off again, following the path until the trees break open to a road and she stops quickly, moving to glance carefully out into the open. Below her, a man stands in front of a huge pile of dead soldiers with a curved sword slung over his shoulder and a weirdo smile on his face. His eyes stare out adoringly towards a familiar friend and the sight of him has her smiling in delight.

Inuyasha! Her brother in every sense of the word! They had become close during her stay at Kagome's village and she had adopted the older boy as her brother even though he argued about it.

Everyone except Sango stands back as Inuyasha and the specter stand off against each other. Where is Sango?

"My that silver hair of yours looks so soft and those cute little ears are so adorable!" The man squeals.

'_What in the world? Is he really a woman?_' Lee thinks. A rustling sound catches her attention and she freezes solid, moving only her eyes. A fat little man with a white cloth across his face appears out of the trees not far off to her left. He's dressed in all white and two small points rise out of his skull, making her wonder if he has horns.

"Foolish, Jakotsu. Why doesn't he just kill the half-breed?" The little man wheezes.

'_Jakotsu? Does he mean the girly man?_' Lee turns her attention back to the battle at hand just in time to see the man jerk back his sword and a flash of light disappear. '_What the-? Did his sword just...move?_"

"My, my, you really are a fighter aren't you Inuyasha. You're even cuter when you're mad." He giggles.

Lee's shivers in disgust and she can see Inuyasha do the same.

"What is with him?" Kagome gags.

"I don't know or care, but he's going to die right now!" Inuyasha growls.

Again, Jakotsu swings his blade, not moving his body even an inch, and suddenly Inuyasha is hit from two different sides. "Like my sword? It's quite special."

"What is this?" Inuyasha is pushed to the ground and then the light fade, revealing Jakotsu's trick. His sword is really a dozen blades connected to each other like a snake! All those individual blades surround Inuyasha in a cage of trouble.

"Now, I have you. I hate it to end like this, cutie, but I have orders. One little pull and you'll be sliced into pieces like these other soldiers." Jakotsu smiles.

"Not in my time!" Inuyasha swings his sword and the blades fly in all directions!

'_Yes!_' Lee sighs in relief.

"What?" Jakotsu cries.

Inuyasha lets out a yell, swinging his sword, and Jakotsu is flung back, drawing blood!

"How? There's no way...huh?" Jakotsu glances up in Lee's direction and she suddenly thinks she's caught, but over to her right, the fat creature dressed in white opens up a container and a fog fills the air around them all! Lee holds her breath the second she gets a whiff of it! Poison! It's what she smelled on the scent trail awhile back!

'_Crap! I can't move or he'll see me!_' She continues to hold her breath, feeling her lungs begin to complain and her eyes begin to water, but then it all disappears as quickly as it had come. The fog disappears and Jakotsu and the gas creature have vanished! '_How...?_'

Lee bounces back a few steps to escape any lingering poison left behind in their wake and carefully takes a deep breath. Nothing abnormal singes the air around her so she sighs in relief.

'_Okay, now that I'm alive..._' Lee lets her thoughts stumble around in her mind. she has a feeling this Jakotsu may lead her to Bankotsu. The last parts of their names are the same, they both mean bones, so she knows they have something to do with the other.

Taking a few quiet steps, she creeps closer to Inuyasha and the group until she can pick up their voices clearly.

"I don't know who these Band of Seven people are, but they are definitely in with Naraku!" Inuyasha growls.

"You're right." Kagome agrees.

"Then we find Sango and hunt them down then." Miroku adds.

They all nod, Kagome picks up Shippo and they start to turn away, but not before Lee disappears farther into the woods, racing back to her friends.

A scent hits Inuyasha's nose and he spins around quickly.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Kagome calls to him.

He takes a few more sniffs. "I can't be sure, but...I think I smell...Lee."

"What?"

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken calls out, but with no return answer.

'Oh! Why does he always leave me behind to watch Rin? It's no fair!' He thinks.

"Master Jaken, don't worry. Lord Sesshomaru will catch up with us." Rin laughs.

Jaken glances back at the girl. She's acted much differently than last time. When the Lee child had left before Rin was hallow and sad most all the time, but now she acts as if the woman had never left them. Sure Lee had left a short and rather rude note behind, but it was enough to keep Rin hopeful.

Jaken takes a tighter hold on the dragon's reigns and moves them forward again down the road. His disappointed eyes stare down at the dirt where his feet trudge.

Suddenly, I sharp snap of a twig causes him to look up just as a female trips into the road ahead of them.

"Hmm?" Jaken squints to get a good look at her, obviously not human, but not demon either.

The woman glares back behind her, angry at the thought that she actually tripped over something, but then her face goes into blunt shock and horror as she spots them.

Jaken stares back. There's something there; deep in that woman's eyes. She seems so familiar, but how.

"Uh...Whoops!" She leaps up with surprising speed and vanishes into the treetops above as fast as she had appeared.

"Jaken? Why did we stop? Do you hear something?" Rin asks from Aun's back.

Jaken turns on the girl. Had she not seen?

The dragon gazes up at the trees. He had seen and he knew.

* * *

Moriko stops ahead of her and Lee quickly skids to a stop before she runs into the smaller child.

"Geez!"

"Ah! Lee? Where have you been?" Moriko snaps.

Ryu is nowhere in sight.

"Hey, where's…?" Lee glances around for their friend.

"Don't change the subject!"

"Ugh!" Lee groans. "Okay, I was running around. I found out where Inuyasha and the gang are, we know where Koga and his group are, and I also accidentally ran into Jaken and Rin."

Moriko gasp. "Was…he there too?"

"No. I haven't seen him yet." She glares.

"Gotcha, well, then, what does that tell us?"

"Well, they're all running around in the same place and they all seem to be heading in this direction, so what's here that may be a center point?"

"Uh…well, there's…uh…"

"I take it you have no idea?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Okay."

They start walking in the direction that Moriko had been heading when Lee had arrived and she looks down into the ravine they are following along. Why would Moriko be following this?

That's when she sees Koga's two lackeys running as fast as they can along the river.

"I guess Koga left them behind again?" Lee grins.

"Yeah, he's really rude!"

They share a quiet laugh until a white and black dragon form descends from the sky. Ryu shifts back into his normal form and lands on his feet.

"I lost him in the woods up there. He's faster than he looks." He chuckles, gasping for breath.

"Did you get a good idea on where he's heading?" Lee asks, glancing off in the direction he points to.

"Yeah, there." He lifts a clawed hand and point up in to the sky towards a mountain in the distance.

The second her eyes land on it, Lee can feel herself shiver in fear. Something about the mountain seems so…off. It glows with an unearthly aura and a power seems to pulse from it.

"What the heck is that?" She asks.

"I think…I wonder if that's Mount Hakurei."

"Mount…what now?" Lee gives her a confused look.

"It's the mountain said to be sacred. The Band of Seven was buried near here in hopes that their raging souls would be soothed by it." Moriko answers.

The words have Lee kicked into overdrive. "You just said the Band of Seven. Moriko, how much do you know of them?"

"A little. I was small, well small-er, when they were beheaded and laid to rest. They were a group of sever murderers who used to be hired to kill, but they became obsessed with the act and soon had to be stopped before they could destroy anymore. A great army was sent out to capture and behead them and they were buried near the mountain. Each one of them specialized in a certain area of expertise."

"Okay, Ryu go on ahead and see if you can find us a safe place to camp for the night. Moriko I want you to tell me everything else while we run. Do you think you could take me to the place where they were buried?"

"Oh, yeah. Everyone knows where that is. The only thing I'm wondering is: why?"

"I don't think they're dead anymore." Lee says.

Moriko's jaw drops. "Oh, no…"

"Exactly my point."

They take off, Moriko leading Lee farther towards the mountain, while Ryu heads off in the direction that Koga had taken. The woods would keep them as safe as possible…at least for tonight.

As they near the mountain, Moriko and Lee come to a quick halt.

"What the hell?"

Lee doesn't add anything. She knows what the girl is complaining about. Something is keeping them from going any farther. She doesn't know what, but she can tell it's pure and stronger than anything she's ever felts before.

It's has her soul shaking in fear.

"Well, I was going to show you, but…this…"

"Yeah, I get it." Lee tells her. It would feel worse for Moriko, a full demon, but for Lee it still has her feeling uncomfortable. "Let's turn back for now. We don't need to see it ASAP. It can wait until tomorrow."

"Okay."

They turn around and head away from the base of the mountain, and towards the woods the second they cross Ryu's scent path. They head into a clearing where the older boy has fish roasting above a fire. "Did you guys find anything?"

"We couldn't even get close enough." Moriko growls, plopping down on the ground.

"What do you mean?"

"There's some…kind of barrier around to mountain." Lee takes a seat near the fire as well, letting the heat warm her hands and legs. Thoughts of the barrier still have shivers running down her spine.

"Do you think it has anything to do with this Naraku guy?"

"No. The barrier felt too pure."

"Exactly the reason we should keep moving. He's not here, so we should start looking somewhere else!" Moriko jumps to her feet.

"I heard what Inuyasha said. He thinks Naraku is here too. I have to believe he's right. He has been hunting the guy longer than we have, so he knows more about him than we do."

"Are you kidding me?" She cuts Lee off. "You're going to take the chance of trusting your dog friend when you yourself even said that they haven't been able to find a trace of Naraku in weeks?"

"Moriko! Cut it out and sit down. We have more important things to discuss." Ryu takes control of the situation before it can get out of hand.

The younger demon groans and collapses down on the ground. "Whatever."

"Good. Now tell us all you know about the Band of Seven while we eat." He passes her a fish and she takes it stubbornly.

"Fine. They are ranked in skill, according to the stories. One of them, the one we saw Koga take out wasn't much of a fighter, but…hey, you saw his size. Another has skills in swords, but they said he could…shift his sword. I didn't really understand that one though."

"Like a whip maybe?" Lee asks, thinking back on Jakotsu and how his sword was linked together like a whip.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Not many could get a close enough look at it before they died. Another specialized in gases, another in fire and powders. Then there was one who was made half of metal, as if he lost body parts in battle. The next was said to be a doctor gone mad with the lust for blood and murder, and finally they had their leader. He was said to be a master swordsman, but he relied mostly on a strength that was beyond even a normal humans."

"Was he a demon?" Ryu asks.

"No, oddly most of them are humans, except for the half metal guy. I don't really know what he'd be classified as."

"I say he's a cyborg." Lee shrugs.

The other two glance at her in confusion.

"Oh, yeah, not from my time." Lee mumbles to herself. "A cyborg is basically a man made of half metal and half human body parts."

"Okay, cyborg works good for me." They both nod in agreement.

"Cool, now let's eat. I'm starving!" Lee licks her lips as Ryu finally hands her a fish from the fire and she scarf's it down quickly.

* * *

"Oh this is just perfect!" Mori screams out across the gap. They had just started to travel this morning when they finally exited the woods and came to this large canyon. Where in the world do these things just pop up from?

Lee herself is getting annoyed now.

Across the gap the woods continue, but to get there, the group has to first get across this annoying piece of crap.

"Ryu, do you think you can carry Mori and head down this thing and see if you can spot Koga or the others? I don't think he would waste his time trying to jump this thing."

"Sure thing." Ryu shifts into his dragon form and lowers himself towards the ground so Mori can hop on.

"Lee, you better be careful." She calls out as they take to the sky.

"I will." She waves after them. When their out of sight, she turns back to the gap.

'_So now all I have to do is get across._' She thinks.

She spins on her heel and races at a high speed down the gap in the opposite direction to see if the gap narrows any to where she can just jump. To her luck it doesn't, but she does find an old bridge that barely hangs on by a single rope anymore.

"That shouldn't be too hard." Lee keeps her steps light as she skips across it and just makes it across when the rotting rope snaps and the whole contraption falls to the bottom of the gap. "I hope no one decides to cross anytime soon." Lee grins, taking off into the woods.

She's skipping effortlessly through the trees when she runs across a very familiar scent. She back tracks once more and follows it.

It belongs to the fat man she saw with the poison. The scent is laced with it.

Lee tries not to let the scent get too far into her nose as she runs, but it just gets stronger as she nears the place he's at. A small house. Heck, it's not even big enough to be called a house. It's more like a storage hut.

The poison master's voice laughs from inside.

Keeping to the shadows, Lee sneaks around the house and stops. From her hiding spot in the trees, she can see through the open door inside.

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku lay out on the floor, motionless. Only Kagome is awake.

'_Holy crap! What is the world?_'

The poison master has her dressed up and giggles uncontrollably.

"You shall make a beautiful bride, my dear." He hisses.

'_What? Eww!_' Lee gags, getting a good look at his face. He's not all that attractive, but does he really have to go this far?

Lee reaches to her shoulder, getting ready to unhook her weapon that hangs from the curved latched on her shoulder armor, but a new scent hits her nose and she nearly cries out.

Her eyes dart to her right as she sinks lower into the shadows.

Sesshomaru enters the clearing and walks right up to the hut where the fat man laughs.

His laughter cuts off instantly as her turns around. "W-who are you? No one shall disturb my wedding!"

"Hmm. Naraku isn't here either. I thought I caught his scent, but here I find you." Sesshomaru says with that calm, collected voice.

It rattles through her very bones. How long has it been?

"Get back, demon!" The fat man takes a step back and readies to throw something at him. "I am Mukotsu! One of the Band of Seven! I shall kill you where you stand!"

"The Band of Seven you say? Are you the ones working for Naraku?" Sesshomaru ignores his threat.

"We work for no one! He was kind enough to resurrect us, but our allegiance lies with our master only, Bankotsu!" Mukostu yells.

The name hits her hard. Bankotsu. He's the one who attacked her home.

Anger heats up under her skin, burning away all her current feelings. Her concentration centers on the fat man. She leaps quietly into the tree limbs above her.

So he follows Bankotsu? Then he will die.

Lee reached under her left arm under the fish net decorating her wrist, and pulls out a long metal dart the size of a pencil.

With remarkable speed, she sends it flying just past Sesshomaru's head and into the fat man's shoulder. Blood goes flying.

"AGH!"

Sesshomaru spins around to see where the dart had come from, but Lee is already gone, flying through the trees and around to the back side of the house.

A second later, Mukostu tries to run for it, but Sesshomaru knocks him back with his sword, sending him flying through the back wall where Lee is already waiting.

How had she known he would've knocked him through the wall? The thought makes her smile.

Mukostu clampers to his hands and knees, gripping the needle in his arm, but he stops cold.

There, out in the shadows of the trees, a pair of stone cold eyes stare back at him; filled with anger and hate that are both aimed at him.

"N-no!" He spins back around as Sesshomaru approaches him.

"A useless being such as yourself has no purpose trying to escape me." He swings his sword, his Dragon Strike ripping across the ground and engulfing the poison master as he screams out in fright and pain.

Lee claws her way up into the tree tops above to escape the attack.

"Sesshomaru!"

Lee looks up as Inuyasha comes into the scene. He stands in the house near Kagome and the others. Shippo nudges Kagome weakly with worry straining his face.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha snaps.

"You should worry less about me and more about those people. My work is done here." As Sesshomaru turns away from him, a movement above him catches his attention, but by the time he looks up, it's gone.

Lee ducks quickly behind the thick trunk of the tree before he can see her. Her heart hammers hard in her chest.

'_That was close._' She thinks.

"Inu…yasha?" Kagome's weak voice has Inuyasha and herself turning towards her.

Lee hops down silently to the ground and watches as he returns to her side.

"Shippo, we have to get them someplace safe." He says, his voice dead serious and heavy.

Lee's never heard that tone before. It surprises her.

"Inu…Lee." Kagome reaches out weakly towards the direction Lee stands and she quickly backs away farther into the darkness.

Had Kagome seen her?

* * *

_I made this one kinda long...whoops._

_My bad!_

_I know the dialoge isn't the same, but I figured I'd change it up a little. I explained this back in the last chapter's intro._

_I'm also taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and review! (And please don't be hateful :D )_


	19. Chapter 19

_Okay, I'm really sorry this took so long, but I've had major writers-block and not having nay reviews on this story is kinda making me wonder if it's any good. Then again I have had some people favorite it and I want to thank you guys sooooo much! You rule!_

_Also to those who are reading, I thank you too!_

_This chapter is longer than I expected, but I'll tell you that more fluff is going to come back soon...regretfully. My friends say that I need to add more because the story is dragging some. So I promise to try and put some in on the next chapter._

_Read and enjoy!_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_Chapter 19-

"You did what?" Mori snaps the second Lee tells them what happened and on reflex, she ducks low by the waist when Mori goes to punch her.

Lee walks away as if the girl's assault hadn't happened. "But I don't understand all this."

"What's not to understand? These Band of Seven guys are obviously working for Naraku and they're following the orders of their leader Bankotsu." Ryu shrugs.

"Yeah and Bankotsu is the one who attacked our home! Let's go get him!" Mori growls.

Lee reaches out, still staring thoughtfully at the ground and rubbing her chin, and snatches Mori by the arm. "We can't just go running off after him. If we barrel in there we could walk right into a trap."

"And we've...gotten...out of worse...before!" Mori struggles out of my grasp and falls to the ground. "Ow!"

"You're right, Lee. We got to think this through. We've been having trouble getting through the barrier, so I think we should try crossing it later after we find out what's causing it." Ryu stares up at the barrier before them.

"We know what's causing it! It's Naraku!" Mori glares at him from the ground.

"If we're going searching, then we'll need some help." Lee nods in agreement with Ryu.

"But-!"

"Are you going to your friends then?" He asks.

"Yep."

"Hey-!" Moriko tries again.

"Do you want us to come?"

"No, I'd be better for you to stay here and keep an eye on things."

"HEY! You guys aren't listening to me at all!"

Ryu and Lee turn surprised looks towards the ground where Moriko growls.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something?" Lee smiles warmly.

"AGH!" Moriko leaps up at Lee, but she laughs and dodges her with a single sidestep, the smaller girl flipping past her and tumbling down the hill.

"Then if you're going to go, you need to go now. Who knows where they are now." Ryu hands her a small bag filled with money and smiles.

"Alright. You guys be careful and keep her out of trouble."

"I will." Ryu reaches up just as Moriko comes running up and pushes her to a halt.

"You be careful, Lee!"

"I will!" She reaches back and waves at them before taking off into the woods.

The run is long and confusing. Where ever Inuyasha was going, it sure must be isolated. No other smells are here besides his, Kagome's, and the other's. She takes a sharp turn, keeping her ears open for any movement, and follows Inuyasha's scent farther out. Before long, she finds herself staring up a flight of stairs leading to a shrine above, hidden far into the trees.

"What is he doing in a place like this?" She whispers.

Taking the stairs three at a time, Lee skips quickly up the stairs and stops cold. The temple is in ruin!

Smoke spirals up from torn and destroyed houses and buildings. Wood and debris is everywhere.

"Whoa." Lee whistles, and then clears her throat. "Inuyasha!"

Her calls echo off into the clearing. No one answers for a moment.

"Inuyasha!"

He comes out from behind the only building left standing, dressed in his usual red kimono. A man in a monk outfit follows him out as well.

He stares at her for a long while, looking her over as a threat.

"Uh...hey!" Lee smiles weakly. It's been too long; she's missed her family.

"You are?"

"What, you don't recognize me? I know I've changed a little, but I'm not much different." She chuckles.

He takes a few sniffs at the air. His eyes widen a bit. "Lee?"

"Hiyas, bro. How's it been?" Lee holds up her hand and waves.

"Wait, you're alive?"

Her hand freezes and she glares at him. "I didn't die in the first place, looser."

He's directly in front of her in a second, poking her shoulders, pulling her slightly longer hair, sniffing her clothes.

"It is you."

"Duh."

"You smell..."

"Different? Yeah, I know. It's because I'm a half-demon now. Like you." Lee smiles, crossing her arms.

"What? How'd that happen?"

"Long story, so I'll tell you later. Would you stop poking me? I'm alive alright?" She waves him off again, getting annoyed. "Man, you haven't changed a bit; still annoying as ever."

"Shut up!" He crosses his arms now and glares at her.

The sound of someone clearing their throats has their attention.

"Oh, yeah. This monk is the last survivor of this temple. I'm going on searching while he looks over everyone." Inuyasha explains.

"What's wrong with them?"

He nods over towards the remaining building and she races over. As Lee enters the room she stops.

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku all lay motionless on the floor, barely breathing.

"What...what's wrong with them?" She asks, taken aback.

"They were poisoned by Mukotsu."

"Oh, yeah."

"Oh, yeah? So you were there? Kagome wasn't hallucinating then." Inuyasha snaps. "Why didn't you stop him?"

"Uh, hello! I only got there about a minute before Sesshomaru did! They were already lying passed out on the floor by the time I arrived!" She growls.

"Hmm." He huffs.

They stand there in silence, staring down at their friends.

"So...will you...watch over them while I'm gone?"

"No one will harm them here. I will make sure of it." The monk answers him before Lee can. "She should go with you in case you need assistance."

The way the monk says this, all hurried like, has something tripping off in Lee's mind. She glances at him with a stern look.

"I can take care of myself!" Inuyasha and his male-pride answers.

Lee glances at her brother. He can be so clueless sometimes.

"She stays here. You'll need her help."

"How do you know I can help?" Lee can't believe he said that. He actually relies on her! She smiles.

"Don't get too cocky, if something happens to them, I'll have your head for sure." He leaves the room, but not before giving one final order. "Shippo you keep an eye on things too."

"What? But I'm-!" Before the small fox demon can answer, the half-demon leaves the room. Shippo hops up on Lee's shoulder and hugs on tightly. "I can't. I'm too small."

"No you're not Shippo. You're stronger than you know." Lee hugs him back gently.

Lee takes a seat over by Kagome's head and Shippo stays in her lap, gazing down at his three unconscious friends.

Silence takes hold of the room for a long while, especially with the monk gone. His eyes are too shifty for her taste.

"Um...Lee?"

Lee's eyes shoot open. "How'd you know it was me?"

"I heard Inuyasha outside. He can be really loud sometimes." The small demon mumbles.

"Yeeeeah." Lee agrees.

"Why did you leave?"

She doesn't answer. How can she? It's really a long story and right now really isn't the best time.

"Well..."

"Are you two well?" The monk returns with a few items in his possession, setting them down by Kagome. The poisoned girl shifts suddenly.

"Kagome?" Lee whispers under her breath.

Shippo doesn't answer the monk and neither does Lee. Kagome opens her eyes weakly and stares up at the monk.

'_Doesn't Shippo notice?_' Lee wonders, looking to see if the small child was seeing Kagome too. He doesn't.

"I will prepare something for you to eat, but you should really rest." The monk sets down a burning candle and then turns to Lee. "Will you go and retrieve some water from the well outside?"

'_What am I, a retriever?_' Lee rolls her eyes. "Sure. Shippo stay here okay."

"Okay."

Something is telling her to stay put, but there's nothing going wrong right now. That and she's only taking a few steps outside. What all could happen in that short amount of time?

Jumping down the steps from the house, Lee heads to the well about ten feet from the building and stares down into the darkness. She whistles.

'_How can Kagome jump down a height like that? It's beyond me._'

She grabs the bucket down by the edge of the well and ties it onto the string, letting it fall down the well. Odd thing is, it doesn't splash as it hits the water.

Lee leans over the side again and sniffs. How'd she miss that? There's no water at all!

Suddenly a presence takes form behind her and she flips over the edge of the well to the other side, just as an explosion blasts where she had previously stood.

"What the hay?"

The smoke clears and the monk stands on the other side, but no longer in monk clothing. His face is tattooed just like the other two Band of Seven members and his clothes are just as flashy.

"The half-breed really messed up my plans by leaving you here to guard them, but it doesn't matter now. I have the woman's jewel shards and they will aid in your defeat." He lifts an urn to his mouth and takes a deep gulp.

Lee skips back a few steps and readies herself. For some reason, she knows what he's planning to do; she has seen this technique before back at the school.

He pulls the urn away and blows. Fire, hot and bright, explodes towards her and she grins.

Twisting her arms, she lets her own powers loose, gaining control over the flames coming at her and she streams them around behind her and then shoots them right back at the imposter.

His eyes widen in shock and he just barely evades his own flames.

"What is this?"

"It's called magic. I control the very essence of fire." She growls, curling her hands into a clawed-like state and morphing a ball of hot flames in between her palms and throwing them at him. The battle's on.

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru. Thank goodness! My Lord, please let us leave this unholy place." Jaken gasps, the second his master comes into view.

"Rin."

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Leave this area. You're on your own until I return. Jaken we're leaving." The great demon lord commands.

"Uh...M-my Lord, please wait for me!" The small imp creature calls after him.

Walking off, Sesshomaru thinks back.

The presence he had felt before leaving his half-brother had disturbed him. It felt stronger than he was used to, but it was warm. Like fire.

Deep down he had felt a shock rush through him and he thought he recognized the presence, but then it just changed, becoming drawn back and poised like a snake ready to strike in defense.

What had made it change so?

An image of a familiar face, one of someone he lost not too long ago, flashes across his mind and he stops cold. His gold eyes lift and glare off at the barrier around the mountain he has been trying to figure out.

Why does he think of her now?

* * *

Lee's fire throws him to the ground again and the Band of Seven member growls in frustration as he climbs to his feet.

"What's the matter? Getting tired on me already?" Lee calls, landing smoothly on the ground.

His eyes narrow at her even more before he starts glancing around nervously.

Lee narrows her own eyes. '_What's he up to now? His fire doesn't work on me, his explosions are too slow to hit me, and apparently he has no skill in a sword. He has nothing on his side._'

He spins around, lifting his urn quickly and lets loose his breath of fire again. Only this time it's not aimed at her, it's aimed at the building that houses her friends!

"NO!" Lee lets her magic flow out of her in a rush and the energy claws at the fire blasting in the opposite direction, but it's no use. There's too much of it and what doesn't fall into her power hits the house dead on, engulfing it in flames.

Throwing the flames she controls to the ground, she races forward, leaping on the members head as she jumps into the air, and dives through the already weak roof and into the flames that surround it.

"There's no getting out of that, child. You and your friends will die." The monk-imposter grins darkly, but his attention is quickly claimed when he hears another commotion. The struggle is coming from the stairs.

Inside the burning building, Lee pulls Kagome and Miroku closer to Sango, picking the sleeping Shippo up in her arms and then glancing around at the approaching flames.

The heat is extraordinary, but she doesn't let it get in the way of her focus. Every time a flame gets too close, she pushes it back, forcing it to retreat back into the flames it had spread from and killing the fire, but soon after the flames just come right back.

'_Lord, what now? I trained with stuff like this all the time, but there's too much here. The house fires I fought before were puny compared to this!_' Lee thinks, pushing back yet another exploding fire near them.

"Lee?"

"Shippo! Are you alright?" Lee turns to the small fox in her arms. He rubs his eyes sleepily.

"The monk had lit some kind of candle and then I started to get really tired...I'm sorry I fell asleep on the job."

"It's not your fault." Lee shakes her head. The candle must have been a sleeping herb.

A flame rips over again and Lee pushes it back. Shippo wakes up then, jerking up.

"What's going on?"

"The monk is one of the Band of Seven members and he set the house on fire before I could stop him." Lee growls, pushing back yet another exploding fire and then stomping out a few cinders near her feet.

Shippo hops down out of her arms and starts screaming "Fox Fire" and throws his small blue flames at the fire surrounding them. Even with his help, Lee knows they're not getting anywhere.

"It's still coming!" He cries.

"Get back!" Lee produces her own fire and throws it past him as a fire too big for him to handle nearly touches him. "Get over here, Shippo."

The small fox races over grabbing onto Kagome's arm and trembling.

Lee squats down close to the floor and focuses her energy directly in the center of her body. Like a warm burst of light, the energy explodes and fire swirls around them, forming a bright red shield.

"How long will it last?" Shippo whispers sadly.

"With this fire so hot, I'm not sure. If I can hold it until it dies down a little, then I may be able to get us out, but..." Lee opens one eye and glances at the boy.

He swallows and sniffs. "This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't fallen asleep."

"Don't talk like that Shippo!" She says.

He breaks out into tears.

"Dang it, hurry please, Inuyasha." Lee quietly calls.

The flames start to get even hotter somehow and then they begin to crawl over her shield, engulfing it. If this keeps up, it will break.

"Ugh! Inuyasha!" Shippo cries.

Distantly, a sound comes in answer.

Lee opens her eyes and listens closer.

"...me...Ka...ome...KAGOME!"

Out of nowhere, something breaks through the roof and lands right next to the shield. In a hurried surprise, Lee extends it out further until it includes her brother, protecting him from the fires.

"Kagome!" He reaches down and pulls the limp girl into his arms.

"It was that monk; he was disguised. He's one of the Band of Seven." Lee explains, keeping up her concentration.

"Yeah, I know. His name is Renkotsu." His voice is low and strangled. Lee starts to wonder if he inhaled too much smoke, but then she sees how he stares down at the others.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry! The poison is killing them and it's my fault! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Shippo breaks down, tears spilling out of him as he cries.

"It's not your fault, Shippo. It's theirs." Inuyasha doesn't even look up.

"I can hold up the shield. The fire's dying now." Lee whispers into the sadness that seems to be thickening even worse than the smoke around them.

"I'm glad to see you're alive." Inuyasha says, putting his back to Lee's.

Down at her feet, still sniffing, Shippo stumbles to get the words out. "I knew...I knew..."

"I know." Inuyasha stops him gently. "You were very brave. You helped Lee protect everyone from the heat with your Fox Fire."

"They all stopped breathing, Inuyasha!" Finally the small fox child bursts into tears again. Inuyasha and Lee both gasp in shock and turn to him.

Sure enough, none of them were breathing any longer. Lee quickly drops to her knees beside their hands. "No...oh, no! What do we do now?"

Inuyasha rushes over to Kagome's side and lifts her into his arms gently. "Kagome...This can't be happening! Come on, Kagome! Open your eyes! Say something, Kagome!"

"Master Inuyasha, please, what are you doing?" Comes a small squeaky voice. Lee looks over and spots a small insect bouncing up and down on his shoulder.

'_What the heck is that?_' She thinks.

"You were here too, Myoga?" Inuyasha whispers, his voice getting more desperate by the second.

"Both you and Shipp will end up burning to death unless you get out of here now! We've got to get everyone to some place safer!" The small insect ignores his question, beginning to bounce on his shoulder again.

Inuyasha sets Kagome's unmoving body back onto the ground and stands up, drawing his sword. Instinct tells Lee to drop her shield, but she doesn't right away. Slowly and uncertainly, she lowers it, letting in the fires heat once again and it beats against their bodies.

With a loud cry, he lets out his wind scar and it rips through the flames, tearing the house apart and making it into a pile of rubble just like the ones around it. Lee looks around, shocked by the power.

Inuyasha falls to his knees, thrusting the tip of his sword into the burned wood so that he can lean on it. "Damn!"

Silence takes them once more, much heavier now that the roaring flames were destroyed. Lee glances at Shippo who still cries hard and clings to his friends. She swallows as she remembers the memories of her own friends back at her cavern village. They had been burned and killed off like animals. A wave of anger courses through her.

"Shippo, don't cry. It's..." Lee stops. What can she say? It's fine? No, it's not fine. The poor kid has lost his friends.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. Have they even made sure these three were dead. So what if they're not breathing. It doesn't mean they aren't still alive. Their heats could still be beating. Lee is about to lean over and grab Kagome's wrist when Inuyasha finally speaks.

"Don't cry, Shippo. You did everything you could.

"But...it wasn't enough and if they die, I'll never be able to forgive myself! It's my fault! If only I hadn't brought them to this temple!"

"It's not your fault, Shippo!" Lee cuts him off, but the kid still bawls.

"Just quit it! You're not to blame for anything! It's my fault!" Inuyasha snaps, glaring at the ground.

"You're just saying that! It's all my fault and you know it!"

"Would you two stops it!" Lee scolds.

"Hey, enough already!" Myoga the insect cries, jumping onto a bored near Shippo. "Crying isn't going to solve anything! We've got to get these three away from here and to an open area."

'_Finally, someone with their head on straight._" Lee sighs.

Inuyasha turns around and Lee looks up to see Shippo pulling weakly at their bodies, trying to move them.

"It's okay, Shippo. I'll do it." His voice has calmed down again.

Shippo looks up at him, tears still rimming his eyes. "Inuyasha..."

* * *

Koga and his backup come to a halt in the woods. Dust is kicked up around them, making the his lagging followers cough and heave.

"Please, Koga, wait!"

"Do you even know where you're going?"

Their complaints hit him hard when they finally catch up.

"Of course I do! She's very close." Koga snaps before turning away and glancing around nervously.

High in the trees above them, Moriko and Ryu land silently and gracefully on a tree branch and watch them closely.

"I wonder what's got him so jumpy?" She whispers.

Ryu shrugs in response.

Suddenly, Koga takes off in a run again, stirring up more complaints from his followers.

"Geez does this guy ever slow down?" Ryu sighs. He's about to start jumping branches again to follow after them, but Moriko grabs his arm and pulls him back. "What-?"

"Look." She whispers, motioning with her head off towards another tree. He follows her stare.

Off nearby, a young boy dressed in a black and green outfit, obviously a demon slayer, watches the wolves leave. his mouth moves as if he's talking to himself and then suddenly tears fall down his expressionless face. He wipes them away and stares down at his hand in confusion.

"Who...is that?" Ryu whispers.

* * *

Lee lands elegantly on the soft grass of the clearing with a handful of fruit from a nearby tree that the flea Myoga had told her to pick from. They had brought Kagome, Sango, and Miroku here to this clearing not too long ago with the help of Kirara and Inuyasha. Now she approaches their still bodies and lays the fruit down beside them. Myoga is nowhere to be found, but Shippo sits on the ground by Kagome and sniffs away tears that still have not seemed to stop.

Lee would say something, but she's never been good with kids.

"Hey, Shippo, let me ask you again. Are you positive that the three of them swallowed the antidote?" Myoga appears out of nowhere and bounces in front of the child's face to get his attention.

He looks up. "Uh, they did. I'm sure of it. It was a special antidote that Jinenji gave me. Doesn't matter...it didn't have any effect."

Myoga, scratching his chin, closes his eyes in thought. "Hmm..." He then pops up and glances around for something. "Huh? Shippo, do you know where master Inuyasha went?"

The small fox child rubs his eyes clear of the tears and answers. "Uh-uh."

"Oh, no. I sure hope he isn't doing anything rash." Myoga cries.

"Why would you say that?" Lee asks. Sure Inuyasha was down in the dumps, but he wouldn't go...that far, would he?

"My dear child, master Inuyasha hasn't had friends like these in many years. Him being a half-demon, he was shunned and looked down upon by both humans and demons alike. He spent all of his life alone until he woke up from the spell that bound him to a tree and found Kagome." The small flea turns to her and explains.

"Oh." Lee tries to imagine a smaller form of Inuyasha, playing with his toys by himself, but the image is terribly unimaginative. She can't help it; right now really isn't a great time for imagining. She stands up. "I'll go check on him. You're right; even if he has changed, his anger hasn't. I know him a little too well on that end."

"Who exactly are you, child?"

"His sister." Lee smiles at him before taking off into the woods, following her brother's scent.

Not too long later though, she picks up the sound of trees falling the forest floor and someone yelling at the top of their lungs.

"Inuyasha." Lee sighs, shaking her head. She jumps up into a nearby tree to wait out his temper tantrum. He needs to be alone right now, that's all.

She listens and waits, listening to the trees fall slower and slower with each passing minute. At first she's worried he'll start leveling the forest, but then the falling stops and she sits up to get a better hear.

He's only yelling now, but his voice is getting farther. She jumps up and travels through the tree tops after him. Soon after, she starts to hear and smell water and breathes it in deeply, letting it fill her. She barely even takes the moment to stop at the edge of the woods before she leaps out over the rocks and squats down. The water falls over a drop and pools down below her, creating a thick mist that covers the area. Lee looks around and spots her brother sitting on the rocky bank below her about twenty feet off. His form is almost hidden by the fog.

"Damn!" Comes his distant voice and he slams his fist into the rock he sits on.

Lee lowers her eyes. Her brother is morning and she can't do anything. She hates it when that happens; it makes her feel useless. Lee sighs and sits down cross-legged on her perch at the edge of the waterfall. Around her, the roaring waters help to clear her mind while she focuses on only its crashing and Inuyasha's voice.

Lee watches him, trying to decide on what she would say to him when she approached him, but the time wouldn't come. Her body goes rigid when **his** voice echoes from somewhere nearby.

"Why are you cursing yourself, Inuyasha?" That cool, emotionless voice sends a rush of adrenaline through her veins and she falls over on her side to lower herself against the rock. It wasn't time for him to see her yet. She isn't ready.

"Get lost! I'm in no mood to talk to you!" Inuyasha snaps back, anger and hatred thickening the threat.

"So, only now you realize how weak you are?" His voice comes again.

'_Wait? Is that even him? He sounds so...cold. That can't be him._' Lee thinks.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha's demanding voice cuts her thoughts off.

"After all, you are only a half- demon." Sesshomaru continues. "You can barely take care of yourself and yet you wield the Tetsusaiga which was forged to protect others. Your friends never stood a chance."

Lee zeros in on his voice and shifts her eyes quickly. He stands almost invisible on a single small rock protruding out of the water just below her at the base of the fall. His white kimono makes it even harder to make him out which has her wondering if he's even there at all or if he's just an illusion created by the mist. If that's true then how come she and Inuyasha can both hear him?

"Then maybe I should kill you, Sesshomaru, and take your Tenseiga. Then I could resurrect Kagome and the other two." Inuyasha's voice loses some of its harshness, but the hatred is still there.

'_Resurrect? Wait, he has a sword that can do that?_' Lee wonders. A vision of him appears in her mind, something she has not allowed her mind to do since she left him last, and she tries to remember the sword he carried. He had had two blades, one with which he produced the Dragon Strike, and the other which he never used. Was that dormant blade the Tenseiga which Inuyasha speaks of?

"As if you could ever master my Tenseiga." Sesshomaru answers him, his voice threading with amusement.

Inuyasha stands up and draws out his sword, baring it as he turns around. It begins to glow bright as he swings it. "Well, we won't know unless I try!"

Watching the Wind Scar had always amazed Lee, but being on the receiving end is just frightening! She quickly jumps to her feet. "Stop, Inuyasha!" Her demand is too late, so she jumps back into the trees to avoid the blast. There's no way Sesshomaru could've avoided that, he was closer to him than she was. Her breath hitches in fright.

Then again, was he even real?

The thought has her slowing her breath, the adrenaline quickly rushing away. She shakes her head, riding herself of the thought.

Things quiet down and she can just make out the sound of Inuyasha leaving, trudging back through the woods slowly, and she's about to follow after him when the sound of a footstep taps the ground very close behind where she had ducked behind a tree.

Her eyes widen.

"I know you're there. I heard your voice." His words hit her hard. He's targeting her.

She covers her mouth. Why had she made that stupid mistake? Yelling out like that, Inuyasha probably heard her too. '_Oh, geez!_'

"Come out, or I'll kill you here and now."

Her knees and arms lock up. He'd kill her?

"I said come out." His voice raises to a demanding state now, he's losing his patience.

"W-what do you want from me?" Lee answers, trying to keep her voice steady and calm.

"Your name. Your aura is unfamiliar to me."

Wait, he doesn't know who she is? Even though she spoke out loud to him? Then again, it has been awhile and she isn't exactly the same as he remembered her. That can really cause a hindrance.

"Your name!" A blast of power from his Dragon Strike tears through the trees just off to her right and the assault has her leaping up into the trees, her survival instincts carrying her. Once in the branches and hidden by the shadows to an extent, she glares down at him. He just attacked her, how else is she supposed to act?

He turns to look up at her and for the first time in so long, their eyes connect.

He can feel something burn in the back of his mind.

She can feel a deep feeling stir within her.

"Your name." He calls again after a long pause carries out between them. The anger and demanding has left his voice. It's almost...gentle now.

"Why do you ask? My name is of no importance. You should know that better than anyone. It's the person you should be wondering about, not the name." Lee answers.

"You speak as if I know you."

"No, you knew the girl who I once was...but she is gone. She has died." The words roll off her lips, true and smooth.

He doesn't answer, but she can see confusion lighting his deep golden eyes.

"You are...looking for Naraku, yes?" Lee asks with a chuckle, changing the subject.

"You know of him?"

"I search for him too." She says. "This means our pathways will cross again."

With that, she spins around, letting her true speed take hold of her, and she disappears into the woods. Her heart hammering heavily in her chest.

* * *

_Yay, they finally meet again after...God knows how many chapters...heh heh._

_Thanks again to black-sage 13, DarkItachi22, lular, and MoonlightChaos for faving this story!_

_I'm also taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and review! (And please don't be too hateful :D )_


	20. Chapter 20

_I want to start off by saying that I just now realized how badly the last chapter are with grammer and misspelling and such so please forgive me! *bows apologetically*_

_Moving on, there is more fluff in this chapter than I wanted, but hey I have no say so in the matter anymore because whenever I try to change it my friends say no and then make me change it back or, even worse, add more!_

_So this chapter has a bit of graphic scenes (and I do emphasize __**bit**__ because there's not that much) and a bit of kissing and such. Lol_

_I'd rather be off writing an adventure._

_Then again, I don't mind all that much because I love writing and I love writing whatever my readers what to read. Sooooo…_

_Read and enjoy! (And yes, reviews are welcomed)_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_Chapter 20-

"Hello?" Jaken calls out. "Ah, he's not here."

Rin looks away from her other master and looks up. A smile brightens her face. "Oh, look! Here comes Lord Sesshomaru now!"

Jaken gasps and follows her finger to where she points. Out of the trees steps Sesshomaru. "Lord Sesshomaru! Where have you been?"

Sesshomaru doesn't answer right away. His gaze lingers on Rin's overjoyed face. How can she be so happy and carefree after **she** has been gone for so long? It's like she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that **she's** alive. Since when had he stopped thinking her name?

He turns back to Jaken, seeing the small demon is still waiting for his answer, so he changes his thoughts the second a familiar scent enters his nose. It's that boy.

"I found him." He says, turning to look off to his right.

"Huh?" Jaken and Rin both say in union. They look over to see what their master is looking at, but the trees are too thick.

"Uh, found who?" Jaken asks.

"That little trouble maker."

"Little troublemaker?" Jaken begins to rub his chin in thought. "Hmm...little troublemaker?" Suddenly it dawns on him. "Oh! You mean the boy that was with Naraku?"

"You mean Kohaku?" Rin corrects him. She thinks back to when Kohaku had nearly killed her, but she shakes her head. He had been controlled; she could tell. He hadn't act like himself. This had happened right after Lee had left.

"Oh..." Jaken starts to think again, but begins to panic when Sesshomaru turns and walks away. "Oh, uh, wait! Please wait Lord Sesshomaru!" He stumbles after him.

Rin, atop Aun's back, thinks quietly to herself. 'Is Lord Sesshomaru going to kill Kohaku?'

* * *

Lee enters the clearing where the group is set up and she leans against a tree to rest. Her heart is hammering so fast that her top speed had worn her out. Her breath is heavy and her chest heaves as it tries to grasp onto the oxygen that escapes out of her too quickly.

'_This is sad. A half-demon already out of breath after that short of a run just because she ran into-_' Lee stops her thoughts quickly before they can get away from her and she shakes her head.

"No way am I going to get worked up." She tells herself.

As she comes into full view, Shippo comes racing over and leaps into her arms. "They're going to be okay! They're awake! They're breathing! They're-"

"Okay, okay!" Lee chuckles. "I get the point."

She lets him climb onto her shoulder as she joins the group.

Kagome, who is held carefully in Inuyasha's arms, turns to look at her weakly. Her eyes widen a little.

'_Oh, right. Kagome doesn't know I'm alive._' Lee smiles sheepishly and waves to her. "Hi."

Kagome continues to stare at her bug-eyed.

"Uh, you don't recognize me do you?" Lee leans over a little.

"Uh..." She glances at Inuyasha and he nods.

"It's Lee."

Kagome turns back to her. "Lee? You're alive! Hold on! How-?"

Miroku reaches up out of nowhere and begins to stroke Lee across her behind again and her eyes narrow.

"Well, well, so you will bare my children then?" He sighs dreamily.

Lee slams her fist into his gut.

Myoga, huge now after sucking the poison out of the monk's neck, rolls away. "I shoulda let this one die."

"No doubt." Lee grumbles.

"Miroku?" Shippo asks, landing beside the monks head.

He opens his eyes slowly, as if waking from a dream. "Huh? Was it only a dream? How disappointing..."

"I should've known you were dreaming about women." Shippo sighs.

"Not surprising." Lee growls in agreement.

Kirara mews from beside Sango's head and the woman stirs.

"Sango? Hey, are you okay?" Shippo asks happily.

"Uh...uh-huh." She answers slowly.

"That means...that everyone's still alive." Kagome whispers with a smile. "I'm so glad."

"I was only able to revive you because the poison had not completely gone through your bodies. Had I been any later, it would've been too late." Myoga rolls across the ground nearby. Lee stares at him closely. He looks about the same size as Shippo now. Can fleas really get that big?

"Well," Shippo starts, "I got to hand it to you, Myoga, I guess you can be useful every once in a while."

"Why you insolent little whipper-snapper, how dare you speak to me like that!" The flea snaps, giving away instantly that he's not exactly a young flea anymore.

"I'm sorry...Inuyasha...for making you worry." Lee turns back to the two huddled up together just in time to catch to Inuyasha's response.

"Stop it! Don't apologize!" He draws back for a second, seeming to struggle with what to say, but then he lays her down gently and turns his back to everyone.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asks in worry.

Shippo hops over to the older half-demon and jumps up onto his shoulder. "Hey, what gives, Inuyasha? I thought men never showed their tears no matter what?"

'_What?_' Lee's eyes widen in shock.

"Huh?" Kagome asks.

"Shaddup!" Inuyasha hits the small fox demon on the head.

Myoga, now intrigued by the change of events, rolls over towards him. "Don't be silly, Shippo. I have served master Inuyasha for many, many years and I have never once seen him shed tears."

Shippo jumps back up onto Inuyasha's shoulder and looks into his face again. "Well, then what do you call these babies?"

Myoga jumps up onto Inuyasha's other shoulder and copies the child. "Let me take a closer look."

Lee quickly rushes over and squats down in front of her brother to see too. "I want proof too."

Inuyasha throws the two little ones off his shoulders and Lee leans away before he can let his anger out on her too. Sure enough, his eyes are shining brighter with tears.

"Why should I cry? Everyone's alive now aren't they?" He growls.

"Well yeah, but you were still crying." Lee snickers.

"Why you!" He jumps after Lee and she takes off with him in hot pursuit at her heels.

No one catches Kagome's quiet words. "Inuyasha...Thank you."

* * *

Later on that day, Lee watches as Koga appears out of nowhere and Inuyasha and he have a go at it. The fight is amusing, but the instant she sees him, Lee starts to glance around nervously at the trees. Moriko and Ryu are supposed to be following him and his group, but where are they.

I flash of movement has her eye and she looks up. There, high in the sky, is the familiar form of a blue and white dragon. Lee takes a step back away from the group and motions for him to return to Moriko and stay away. Ryu turns sharply and disappears back over the trees.

Lee sighs in relief.

"Now who is this?"

"Gack!" Lee exclaims when someone pokes her from behind. She jumps and spins around. "Why does everyone like poking me so much?"

Koga backs away from her rage. "Okay...wait." He takes a few sniffs of her scent. "Hey, she's a worthless half-breed like you, Inuyasha." He chuckles.

"What'd you say?" Inuyasha and Lee both snap straight in his face. Lee grabs the front of his clothes and lifts him straight off the ground. He and Inuyasha both stare at her in surprise.

"Call me that again and I'll make you regret it!" Lee hisses. "I'm not exactly a normal half-demon, flea bag!" She lifts him a little more and throws him behind her where he lands heavily in the water.

"Uh..." Inuyasha glances from her then to Koga and back again.

"What? You wanna say somethin' too?" Lee growls at him. The half-demon leaps behind Kagome and stares at her with bug-eyes.

Lee crosses her arms in annoyance.

"Hey, Koga!" Two tired voices call.

"Damn. Listen you, I don't have time to mangle you, so it'll just have to wait until next time." Koga growls in her calm and collected, and rather bored, face.

Lee grins. "Anytime, fur ball."

He grinds his teeth before taking off again. A long moment later, two tired wolf demons come jogging by. "Hi, Kagome." They sigh.

Kagome waves and smiles warmly after them, but they continue on without stopping.

"Man, can you teach me some of those moves?" Inuyasha exclaims, coming to stand by Lee's side.

"Anytime." She pats his shoulder with an even wider grin.

"Yeah! With you keeping him occupied, I can come up behind him with Tetsusaiga and run him through!" Inuyasha starts planning out the battle with an evil look on his face.

Lee's grin falls and she stares at him as if he's gone crazy. "Uh, you want to kill him?"

"Yeah!"

"Uh..." She tries to say something, but he continues on.

"Oh, maybe if you held him down then I could hit him with me Wind Scar! Oh, or..."

'_No way, boy. You nearly killed me already with that thing, so there's no way I'm going to stand there and pray I don't get hit again just so you can have a chance at the wolf._' Lee thinks.

"Then I can cut off his tail, and use it as a flag! And then..."

"Inuyasha..." Lee says.

"What?"

"SIT!" Kagome's voice snaps.

Inuyasha hit the ground face first screaming and Lee follows him with her eyes.

"My words exactly." She responds.

* * *

The moon is high in the sky when Lee finally sits up from her place on the ground. The fire has died out and the group is finally asleep. She slips off her rock by the river bed and skips quietly into the woods a ways before she really begins to run. She doesn't want anyone knowing or asking where she's going.

They'd probably stop her.

But she can't help it. She has to go. She has to see him again.

'_This is bad. I've trained for weeks so that I can keep myself from thinking about him. I've trained even harder so that I won't stir those feelings again. I see him once and all that training vanishes like smoke. Now it's driving me mad when I can't see him._' Lee sighs as she runs; testing every scent she goes by to see if she can pick his up. She races farther up the river where he had run into her after Inuyasha's tantrum and she starts really searching there. When she picks up that scent she follows it out.

Leaping over ditches, dodging through trees, and ducking under low lying branches, she follows it out farther and farther, each step not nearly enough to make the scent stronger. How fast is he? Not a second later she picks up two new scents that are mixed in with his. Rin and Jaken.

Lee slows down and brushes through the last few hanging branches and bushes until she comes upon a small campsite.

The small fire lights the small area and highlights Rin's face, who leans against Aun fast asleep. Jaken is snoring on the ground not far away, his staff of two heads secure in his hands in case a threat appears. Aun lifts both of his heads as Lee comes into view, the burning fire lighting her up like a candle. He lets out a low rumble from his throat in greeting before laying his head back down.

Lee smiles at him and goes farther into the campsite. The fire warms her back as she leans down by Rin's side. The small girl sighs. "Can we….flowers…Lee…"

'_She's dreaming about me?_' Lee smiles, giving her a look over. She's grown a bit since Lee had left. Her hands are still as small as they were, though. Her long dark brown hair is still pulled up half way into a pig tail on the side of her head. Lee stands up and gets a good look at her before continuing on with her search.

Sesshomaru is nowhere to be found. He doesn't lean against any trees to sleep like usual, so she gazes up into the treetops to see if he's sleeping in the branches like Inuyasha does. He's not high above either.

'_Where is he then?_' Lee thinks. Shrugging, she gives up and heads back towards the woods. '_He's probably off again. It's normal for him._' Lee stops by a tree, resting her palm against its thick bark, and glances one last time at Rin and Jaken.

That's the first mistake she makes after coming here. She turns around and runs smack into something hard as rock. It feels like some kind of armor. Seconds later, she's pulled into a set of strong arms and then she's flying again.

'_For some reason, this feels really familiar._' Lee grabs onto the person's upper arms and pushes out. The person stops suddenly and she goes flying through the air. She flips over and digs her claws into the soft ground to slow herself down. The grass and dirt dig up from under her fingers and bare feet. She finally comes to a halt and turns her gaze up to her opponent.

Sesshomaru.

They face each other in an open meadow with the moonlight shining down on them and highlighting everything in blues and grays. Lee's longer hair, straighter than the curls she had before when she had been human, blows out from behind her back and twists playfully through the breeze.

Her sharp blue-green eyes stare intently into his gold ones and he stares right back.

At first, Lee doesn't know what to do. He can see her no doubt. She no longer has the shadows of the woods to hide her, so her identity is bared before him thanks to the moon light. She stands back up to her full height slowly, shaking the dirt from her hands.

"You were targeting Rin."

"What?" Lee jerks back in shock. "No, why would I?"

"You were near her. That is all the proof I need." He says. His palm begins to glow green and he flicks his hand out, forming that all too familiar poison whip.

'_Oh, great. I know men are hard-headed, but this is ridiculous._' Lee shakes her head and sighs. Right when his whip can hit her, she leaps out of the way; the poison weapon snaps at the ground where she was, searing the ground. She hop-scotches her way around, each time barely avoiding his attacks. When she can, she dances a step closer to him, but for some reason he doesn't seem to notice.

He swings his whip again, snapping it at her waist, but she twirls away from it gracefully, like she's playing with him. It annoys him and his anger has him throwing out a blast of poisonous fog in her direction. She leaps lightly into the air, spinning elegantly through the sky above him, the moonlight highlighting her features and shining off a shiny object in her hair. His eyes flash wide for a split second in recognition.

She lands on his opposite side and spins around to face him, but she makes no move to come at him. This confuses him.

"Will you give up already? I know you don't really want to hurt me. If you did want to, you would've done it already." She shakes her head.

"Don't presume to know me, wench." He swings out his poison whip again.

'_He did not just call me that!_' Lee narrows her eyes, raising her hand and grabbing the whip tightly as it approaches her neck. The poison hisses as it hits her skin. She grinds her teeth, but not from the pain. She doesn't really notice it much. She produces a bright, blazing fire that consumes her hand and the whip inside her grasp and it melts the tip clear off.

"But I do know you, Sesshomaru. Don't think that I don't." She says through her teeth. "I cannot believe you attacked me! I cannot believe you called me that! I thought you were me friend." She lets go of what is left of his whip and it disintegrates from his hand.

He doesn't move; he doesn't answer. They stare at each other, the soft night breeze dashes carelessly around them and rustling the trees and knee-length grass around their legs.

Lee lifts her hand, now burned by the whip of poison she had stopped. Already it's healing, the redness almost gone and the gash by now sealing itself closed. She drops her hand, content with the healing process. She'll have to have Kagome have a look at it before she leaves to look for Ryu and Moriko. Their probably freaking out by now because she hasn't reported in. It'd be fine though.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're still the one who came to rescue me, if you're the man who was kind enough to give me this." She reaches back and lifts one of the small gold bells that hang at the end of her purple hair tie. She twirls it between her fingertips, so that it flashes in the moonlight. His eyes shift and she can tell he recognizes it.

'_Good, maybe now he'll get it._' She thinks.

Sesshomaru lets out a slow breath. There's no way this…half-demon in front of him is **her**. But the proof is here, standing in front of him. She had said that the girl he once knew was dead, her voice is so close to **hers**, and she wears the hair tie he had given to tie back **her** hair. It's all here.

"Don't have anything to say? Wow, I'm surprised. You usually always have a good come back." Lee smirks, shaking her head. She sets her hands on her hips and shifts her weight to her left leg. "What's happened to you? Have you really changed that much since I left?"

When she looks back up at him, she can see the confusion there. Her mocking expression falls and she turns apologetic and anxious. Had he really forgotten her?

Against her will, her feet begin to move her slowly, cautiously, towards him.

"You really don't remember me? Have I been away too long?" She whispers mostly to herself.

She finally comes a foot away, but by now the hurt has set in. The blame she feels on herself fills her and makes her feel heavier than she's felt in a while.

"Yes, you have."

Her eyes widen in shock. His voice is low. Her eyes fall to the ground in defeat.

"But no, I haven't forgotten." He adds.

She jerks her head back up. "I-"

"And neither has Rin…or Jaken…even though he doesn't admit it."

A wave of emotion builds up in the back of her throat, cutting off her words.

"And yes, they have forgiven you."

Lee chokes back a sob. Her eyes blur over, her chest heaves. "And…you…?"

"Yes, I have."

And for the first time in years, Lee cries. Her tears spill over, streaming down her face freely and warmly, letting loose all those years of pain, fear, and sadness she had held back from everyone.

Her knees start to get weak, but she doesn't let herself fail yet. She throws herself into his waiting and warm arms. She's finally home.

* * *

Rin awakens from her dreams. She had dreamt that Lee was here with her, teasing Master Jaken, laughing with her, and arguing with Lord Sesshomaru and then smiling to herself later. She had come home. Rin rubs her eyes and glances over at Jaken who mumbles something in his sleep before rolling over; his staff falling out of his grasp.

She smiles to herself, but she still can't shake the sadness. Their family isn't complete anymore and it wouldn't be until Lee was back. The wind rustles through the trees above and she gazes up at the stars twinkling in the dark sky like diamonds.

A thought occurred to her then.

Something Miss Kagome had said to her the last time they saw her.

"_Always remember that she's going to be with you forever now. She'll always be right here._"

Rin places her hand over her heart, now filling with warmth after the memory, and smiles brightly.

"Yeah, my sister will come back. I know it." She turns her smile back up to the sky.

* * *

They stare up at the endless night sky, numbered with thousands of stars. Sesshomaru leans up against a tree while Lee has her head resting on his stomach. She breathes out a sigh again.

"And ever since then, we've been hunting Naraku. We've been at it for a little more than a week now." She ends her explanation, glancing up at him.

About a good half hour ago, he had asked for it so she started her story after her flow of tears finally stopped. The entire time he waited, he held her silently, breathing in her scent; memorizing every bit of her smell. The memory still has heat flushing across her face when she thinks back on it.

"The eastern mountains." He states. "I never would've thought to look there."

"You mean you actually came to look for me?" Lee sits up to look deeper into his eyes.

He stares down without an expression on his face, but Lee can see the truth through his mask. He had.

She smiles and lays her head back down. The second she does, his fingers lace into her new hair and her eyes close slowly.

"I might not get used to this."

"What?" She asks without opening her eyes.

"Your change."

"I'm still the same person…sort of…" This time she does open them, turning them away sadly. She's different now.

The thought has her sitting up and drawing her knees up to her chest. Would that change their friendship?

"I told you that I wasn't the old Lee anymore. I told you that girl died. I'm a half-demon now, I think."

"You think." He repeats the words slowly.

"Well, I'm not really sure. Kiyoshi said that I wasn't like other half-demons. She said I was stronger, I'm kind of stuck between a half and a full. I don't…really know what I am. She never did go into a deep explanation." She lowers her chin onto her knees, thinking back to when she had first entered the cavern school, her second home. She sighs again.

"That doesn't change anything." He finally responds. "You may change on the outside, but you're still the same on the inside. It's your choice to change."

"Whoa, since when did you become a fortune cookie?" Lee teases with a grin.

He chuckles without smiling. Lee can tell he's holding back a smile and this has her smiling.

"You know, you should take your own advice. Smiling isn't going to kill you."

"Where have I heard that before?"

Lee laughs, falling back onto his stomach again.

The wind takes up the conversation for awhile while they sit back in silence, enjoying each other's company.

'_I'll have to be heading back soon._' Lee thinks, glancing off to the east. It's beginning to change to lighter blues. The sun will be rising in a few hours.

"Moriko and Ryu will be looking for me." She whispers, hesitantly.

He follows her gaze, catching the changing horizon. She can feel his body tense a little under her head.

"You will return to them?" He finally asks.

"I have to." She sighs. "I have to keep them safe. That and Mori isn't all that responsible. If I don't go back she'll end up doing something reckless."

"She sounds like a child." He responds.

Lee stops, thinking about Moriko for a long moment. She turns around to face him. "Yeah, she kinda is a child." She smirks, finally breaking out into laughter. Within a heart beat she's up on her feet. He does the same.

Her laughter at first starts off true and light, but then her eyes once again catch the horizon and it trails off stiffly; hanging in the air like a heavy banner. The silence eventually becomes too stuffy for her to handle.

"Sooo…"

"Don't make Rin wait too long." He cuts her off.

"Huh?" She looks up when he starts to turn away. When he doesn't answer, and when the shadows nearly take him, Lee starts to panic. "B-but…wait!"

He stops.

"I, uh, I'll…come…when I can." She stumbles.

He doesn't turn around, but his body does seem to linger a bit.

"That is, if I'm allowed to." Lee folds her hands behind her back and stares at the ground. "I know that I've waited a long time to come back and that you're mad and all, but…"

"You don't have to ask to visit your family." He says, facing her.

That's all she needs. With a few easy strides, she wraps her arms around his neck, her feet leaving the ground. Right when gravity is about to pull her back to earth, he catches her, both hands lifting her effortlessly by the waist.

What she expected to be an easy hug becomes something more than what she imagined. She crushes her lips to his, letting the warmth she had fought to keep buried fill her, surround her, and engulf her.

This is all she's been needing; this moment in time, this one chance to set things right again. She's wanted to see him again for so long; to tell him or at least show him all the feelings that have been bottled up in her for so long.

Those feelings blaze through her so brightly that her train of thought starts to slip from her grasp. Her hands move up to thread into his long, smooth, silver hair, and it glides easily through her grasp like silk. She tightens her fists around that silk, pressing his face closer to hers, keeping him from moving. Her right leg curls up around his hip, only bringing her body closer to his.

He lets one of his hands trail down her side slowly, sending shockwaves of heat and shivers pulsing through her body, and his fingers curl around her thigh, lifting it higher. He doesn't stop her advance; it's like he's helping her along.

His lips move with no trouble against hers, shaping to them in perfect rhythm.

Out of nowhere, his tongue parts her lips smoothly and traces along her top lip slowly. Her eyes rip.

'_This is moving faster than it needs too…_' She thinks.

His hands glide over her body, tracing along her spine, threading through her hair, brushing across her stomach, over her hips, down her thighs, and around her neck. Feelings she's only read about in books, burn across her skin and erupts inside her stomach.

Her eyes roll back with a groan, but she forces her hands to pull out of his hair and down across his chest, pushing gently against him. He allows her to pull away slowly, letting their lips linger together a little bit longer.

When they finally part, she's not the only one with labored breath.

She stares straight into those deep, golden eyes, permitting herself to get lost inside those irises. Their breaths hit each other heavily, mixing and threading together with little effort; she can taste him on her tongue.

"Uh…" She heaves quietly. "I should…uh…"

He doesn't answer except to nod.

"Yeah…They'll be, uh…looking for me…I guess…"

He nods again, his eyes falling to her mouth.

"I should go…"

"You don't sound too sure about that."

"I'm not."

He softly, brushes his lips across hers, drawing a nearly painful moan from inside her. When he gives her a quick kiss, she leans into him to make it last a bit longer, but he just chuckles heavily.

"Must I be the adult?"

Lee swallows, clearing her mind and squeezing her eyes shut. She needs to concentrate. Moriko and Ryu. They're looking for her, she has to go. She nods now, pushing away hesitantly.

"Yeah…right." She glances off at the horizon again, now much brighter than she wished it would've been. She wishes that she could force the sun to sleep for a bit longer, just so she can let this moment linger a while more…for what?

What does she expect would happen? What did she want to happen?

For him to love her? For him to say he needs her?

Her eyes fall.

Yeah, right. Like that would happen. He's a powerful, full Dog demon lord. What would he want with an average half- demon like her? He probably just sees her as another one of his prostitutes.

She's sure about one thing though. He cares for her as a friend and she'll do anything to keep that from being destroyed. She cares about him too much for their friendship to die.

Sighing, she pushes against him again and he sets her down slowly; his hands lingering on her waist. She doesn't move out of his arms at first, but when she finally feels the unfamiliar ground beneath her feet, her heart only sinks farther. Falling back to earth after being so high can do that to you.

"I'll come back when I can." Her voice is low and even, more stiff than it needs to be. "I have to get back or they start forming a search party on me." Lee chuckles weakly.

He nods again.

Without taking the chance of losing herself again, she spins on her heel and races off into the woods.

Now out of his arms, the night feels so cold and barren; lonely. The trees don't dance in her vision like they had when she had come to look for him. The night sky doesn't seem so bright anymore like it had when they had gazed up at it together. Her body feels like a trembling mess, even her fast pace seems slow and unsteady.

She finally makes it out of the woods, once again at the river's edge, and she falls to her knees, wrapping her arms around her body to stop the shaking, but it doesn't work. Her body shudders out of her control. She's somehow become captivated by him.

* * *

Sesshomaru enters the clearing where Jaken and Rin both roll over in their sleep. He finds the closest tree and collapses next to it, staring off into what's left of the darkness before it can be claimed by the light. When had it become his favorite time?

He lets out a heavy breath, trying to slow down his breathing.

She had reacted to his touch much differently than she had last time. She had run from him then, but now she had allowed it, welcomed it, almost encouraged it. How had things changed? When had things changed?

He closes his eyes and sighs again, letting the memories wash over his thoughts. She had reacted to him…like he had wanted her to; like he had desired her to. Did this mean anything, or was it just something that happened whenever two people touched?

For the first time in his life, he is deeply and completely confused.

He doesn't understand why he's breathing so rapidly, why his arms are shivering as if they have lost something, why his mouth is dying to move, to speak, to yell. He swallows hard.

Has he been tamed, the one thing every full demon tries to avoid with all their beings? No. He couldn't be. He had never let anyone that close; not even the prostitutes he went to whenever he didn't want to be alone had been able to penetrate his shield.

And yet the second this girl, this…half-demon of all things, had left his arms, it felt like he was being ripped apart. He had wanted to jerk her back and force her to stay beside him. When she had ran, he wanted to race after her and order her never to turn away from him again. He had…wanted to feel her against him more and more, to claim her lips as his.

Sesshomaru opens his eyes.

He had wanted to Mark her.

Something only allowed when two were joined by marriage.

A mark that was supposed to be placed on the demon's mate's body to insure that they weren't touched by anyone but them. It would warn others to keep their distance. It was the one act that very few demons ever played because the emotion behind it was so rare in demons. Demons, such as himself, were all too proud for this emotion, but those who did fall to it…seemed happier.

Sesshomaru had met one demon who had found his soul mate. He had Marked her and she had Marked him. He had seen a happiness between them that he had thought was ridiculous and pathetic. A waste of time.

But now, the second he realizes that he had wanted to Mark her, he doesn't remember why he thought it was a waste, why it wasn't what he wanted.

Deep down…he doesn't want anyone to touch her, but is that because he just desired her touch or is it because of that emotion?

He doesn't feel any emotions different than those he has lived with all his life, so what is it?

He thinks back, letting a vision of Lee's smile enter his mind. The second it does, something inside him stirs; a deep, sharp pain of warmth that pierces him straight in the heart.

It's almost too painful for him to handle. He sits up off the tree suddenly, grasping onto his chest and clenching his kimono. His breath hitches quietly again and his eyes widen open in surprise.

He's been tamed.

* * *

_This ending sucks, but I tried. I hope you enjoy!_

_Like I told you, it's not all that graphic, but it's still close enough. If you're not over eighteen then please don't read anymore because if things keep going this way, my friends will have full control over this story by the twenty-forth chapter. Lol_

_I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and review! (And please don't be too hateful :D )_


	21. Chapter 21

_Okay, I'm sorry this is sooo late, but Christmas and New Years back to back is just too much for me. Especially when you're spending almost all of it in a car, but I had fun all the same._

_I want to thank Maxim0 for the review and encouragement AND fav. in the last chapters, SilentSincerity for the fav., and animegirl1994 for the fav. as well. You guys rule!_

_This chapter actually...is longer than I wanted, but it brings Bankotsu in finally and Lee gets to beat him up now!_

_Lee: 'Bout time too. I thought you'd never let me have some fun._

_Uh, hello. You got Sesshomaru. How much more fun are you asking for here?_

_Lee: You know what I mean._

_Whatever._

_Read and enjoy! (And yes, reviews are welcomed)_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 21-

Lee steps into the campsite where Inuyasha and the others have set up and sinks onto the rock she had been sleeping on. It sounds uncomfortable, but she was only lying there. Her mind hadn't let her sleep.

She waits out the time until they all start to stir from their slumber and Kagome is the first.

"Oh, Lee, you're already up? You should've gotten me up; I would've made breakfast for you." She chuckles, getting to her feet and stretching.

"Kagome?"

"Huh?"

"How do you know if you're…in love with someone?"

She jerks back in surprise. "Wha-? Excuse me?"

"Is it something that happens over time or right away?"

"Hold on-!"

"Is it painful all the time?" Lee continues.

Kagome finally covers the girl's mouth and stops her. "Okay! Hold on a second! What are you getting at here? Who are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about me. I'm asking if you know anything about love." Lee tells her. "I want to know because…"

"Because of what? Because of Sesshomaru? Is that where you went last night?"

Lee's eyes fall.

"Yeah, I know. I head you get up last night, but I didn't hear you come back. You were gone for awhile."

She doesn't answer.

Kagome sighs and goes to sit beside her. "Lee, I want you to be happy, but are you sure someone as violent as Sesshomaru is good for you?"

She waits for a good while before answering. "He's not violent. He's kind…in his own way."

Kagome looks away and stares at the ground. "For some reason, that's hard to believe."

"You say that because you don't know him. We talked tonight and he said Rin and Jaken both forgave me for leaving the way I did."

"And what about him?"

"He said he forgave me too." She answers, becoming defensive.

Kagome gives her a good, long, thoughtful look and then nods. "Then why do you ask about love?"

"It just…" Lee's face heats up. "It feels right when he holds me." She finishes in embarrassment.

Kagome freezes. "What? Wait…did you two…"

"NO!" Lee stops her. "No, no….we just…hugged…kinda…"

"Uh-huh." Kagome responds. "Well, all I can tell you is to listen to your heart, not your hormones, Lee. Your heart knows what it wants." She gets up and heads over to the fire, leaving Lee to her thought.

'_Well, you're not much help._' She groans under her breath, falling over onto her rock.

Within the hour, everyone is up and fed, giving them time to spare and pack up the camp.

"Hey, Kagome, before I leave can you…" Lee gets a look at her palm again where she had stopped Sesshomaru's poison whip, but the cut is healed completely; not even a pink line is there anymore. "Uh…"

"What is it?" She comes over to her side.

"Oh, uh, never mind. It's gone." Lee quickly folds her hands behind her with a smile.

"Okay. So you're leaving?"

"Yeah, I have to. I got to find some friends of mine who are probably worried about me." Lee chuckles as she picks up her small bag and takes a step towards the fire.

Shippo leaps up into her arms. "Please come back soon."

"I will." She hugs him back.

Sango and Miroku come to her next.

"Don't be a stranger." The demon slayer hugs her.

"Don't stay away to long…" Miroku stretches a hand back when he hugs her and grabs her back side, effectively getting him thrown to the ground a second later.

"I'll try to, jerk." Lee snaps through her teeth.

Inuyasha crosses his arms when she goes to hug him.

"I'll see you soon, brother. Don't cause too much trouble while I'm away." Lee pats his head when she pulls away.

"Hmph." Is all he says.

Lee waves to them one last time as she disappears into the trees and on her way to her friends. It takes her no time at all to find them, waiting for her by the river side with their bellies full of food. They welcome her back with hugs and wrestling matches for a few warm-ups and then they head off towards the mountain base.

The strong aura is still guarding the mountain, making her whole body shiver and turn cold. The swirling red haze blocks their path and they skid to a stop about a good twenty feet away.

"So what now?" Mori asks, poking Lee in the side.

Lee grabs her hand and throws it away from her before the poke can go through and glares at her. "I don't know. Why don't you go run at it and we'll see what happens."

Moriko returns her glare and laughs sarcastically. "Ha ha. Very funny."

"I can try to fly over and see if there are any holes in it anywhere." Ryu suggests.

"Yeah," Lee starts, "Go see if you can spot anything and we'll run around the base. Thanks."

"No problem." He responds, shifting into his dragon form and taking to the sky above them, now alight with the rising sun.

"I guess he can be helpful sometimes." Moriko shrugs.

Lee elbows her hard, knocking her to the ground and walks on without her.

"Hey!"

Above them, Ryu flies around the mountain top while Lee and Moriko follow around the base in his wake. The search is long and tiring, their legs pushing them forward with their hunt and their eyes investigating every surface of the shield for cracks or openings or weak spots so that they can get through. There's nothing.

"Geez, I'm starting to believe that Naraku is really here after all. This shield is strong. I don't see a single flaw in it anywhere!" Moriko growls.

"Just keep your eyes peeled. There's got to be something or some way in. It can't be that perfect."

Moriko nods. "Fine, I'll go search around the other side of the mountain and you check this side."

"Gotcha." Lee spins on a dime, gracefully, and with a single light push off she's thrust in the opposite direction without a flaw in her step. She can remember when that single act would trip her so easily the first couple of weeks when she was getting used to her new body. Everything had seemed so harder when she first started out, but Kiyoshi had helped her and now it's all gotten much easier. She still has troubles with some things, like the rapidly changing thoughts and hormones, but other than that her movement and speeds have become so much smoother and refined.

'_I will find you Kiyoshi. Our village still needs a teacher and we need you._' Lee thinks, leaping quietly over a fallen log and continuing with her run.

She looks up and spots Ryu flying in the direction she's running and he flips his tail. Lee recognizes the signal. He's found something. She turns her direction a bit and follows after him, racing faster to catch up with his far greater speed. She envies him sometimes. She'd give anything to fly away into the air like him whenever she wanted to.

His blue and white form flashes against the ever brightening sky; his dark blue mane and tail blowing in the wind like a kite. He finally sinks to the ground, shifting back to human form and lands on his feet. Lee comes to a stop beside him; both of them looking out over a ravine that disappears into the mountain.

"Huh. That's interesting."

"That's what I thought when I saw it too." Ryu nods. Together they step off the edge and fall down into the bottom of the ravine about twenty feet below. Fog engulfs them the second they hit the ground; their knees barely even bending as their legs absorb the impact. Lee perks up her ears, listening for any approaching threats, but nothing moves here. It's like it's all barren of life; dead, unmoving.

Her eyes glance around at the dead area around her. It's sad. No flowers, no grass, no animals. It's all dead here; even the ground beneath her feet is black.

"What happened here?" Ryu's breath is low, flat.

Lee doesn't respond. She wants to know the same thing. What unearthly thing happened here? What caused death to take root here?

She looks up, the edges of the ravine showing only a small area of the sky.

It's a scar.

"Come on." Lee tells him, turning away from the sight.

As they come close to passing directly under the barrier, Ryu recoils back, throwing himself back about ten feet.

"What's wrong?" She demands.

"I can't go. That aura is too disturbing. It's making me sick."

Lee turns to look up. The barrier seems to have stopped its fall in mid-air on its descent to earth. She can pass right under it without touching it, but that's not what has her attention.

Since when can't she feel it? The last time she had come near it, it felt like her soul was shaking in fear, but now…there's nothing. Everything inside her is suddenly screaming '_trap!_'

She turns back to him.

"Go." He tells her. "Go bring back Kiyoshi. I have a feeling that she's here."

"But-"

"Go." He repeats, cutting her off. "I'll go to Moriko and we'll hold down the fort out here until you return. Be careful."

"You be careful." She corrects him, spinning on her heel and disappearing into the ravine. She lets her feet flash over the dead earth, following the dead scar leading deeper into the mountain. She looks on ahead of her, through the fog and dying light. The scar seems to be tearing up the side of the mountain, getting steeper and steeper.

She's going to have to start jumping soon. She steps up her speed, letting the dirt and dust kick out from behind her. She lets her magic free, bending her fire out behind her like jets which give her an even more powerful burst of speed. The speed alone causes a wind all its own that drives at the unnatural fog and blasts it away, leaving the barren land open to the sky above.

'_Maybe some sun will fix it._' She thinks, glancing back over her shoulder once before sprinting forward. As the incline gets steeper, Lee increases her fire power and pushes her speed further. This isn't hard for her at all. Speed has always come easy to her; it's always been natural.

The rocky terrain gets more dangerous as spikes of earth jut out like claw to bar her path.

'_Pathetic._' A smile graces her lips. She pushes off the ground and zigzags her way up the incline, rebounding off the clawed earth like a pinball, easily making a path for herself. Her smile widens.

* * *

Deep inside the heart of the mountain, deep in a darkness that not even the strongest of demons could see through, Kagura fans herself with her fan, glaring at the wall to her right.

"Hmm. Interesting." A deep, smooth as silk, voice chuckles with amusement from deep within the darkness.

"What is it?" She asks, catching the sudden change below her from her master.

A red light tears open the air before her and creates a small mirror-like device that floats in the air before her. The mirror ripples and reveals a scene from the outside. A demon is leaping left and right up the mountain side using the rocky spikes they had placed as protection around the mountain like stairs.

"But…how'd she get through the barrier?" She snaps in shock. "It's impossible!"

"Not for her." Comes that voice from below again.

"What do you mean?" She turns to the one below her.

"She is the one Kiyoshi was protecting. She is the child from before; the one from Inuyasha's village."

Kagura's eyes widen and she turns back to the mirror. The demon does look slightly familiar, but is she really the one from before?"

"She is." He answers, reading her thoughts. "Kiyoshi was protecting her for a reason, and that purple light we saw around her last time we met is only proof of that. That child is something beyond anything we know. If she's been with Kiyoshi all this time since disappearing, then we have to keep an eye on her." He chuckles again. "She may prove to be troublesome."

Kagura stares down into the darkness. His voice had changed when he had said his warning. He sounded almost…fearful.

'What could this child have that causes even the powerful Naraku to tremble in fear?' She wondered, glancing back at the mirror.

* * *

"Ryu?" Moriko asks, as she stops just in time to keep from running into him when he falls to the ground after shifting back to his flesh form. "What's up? Did you find something?"

Ryu stares at the ground guiltily.

Moriko tilts her head to the side in confusion. "What's…wrong?"

He finally meets her gaze and his eyes become sad. When she's stared up at his eyes long enough, he turns them up at the mountain towering over them.

She follows his gaze, not getting his mood. "Ryu, what happened?"

"Lee…"

Mori's eyes widen. "What about Lee?"

He doesn't return his eyes to her. "She's gone inside."

"What?"

Birds scatter to the skies around them.

* * *

Lee finally stops on a spike and looks around. The incline had built up to almost a ninety degree angle, so she has to look out over the ground far below her, casting out to the horizon that seems miles away. From inside, the aura isn't visible. Why would someone want a shield to be visible? It's too obvious.

She lets her gaze flow over the tiny trees below her, over the pin thin rivers around the base. It seems to flow on forever.

How long has she been climbing?

She looks up at the earth spikes beyond. They still continue on up the mountain for a while. This mountain can't be that tall.

Letting out a sigh, she takes off again, flying up the incline and bounding off the spikes like a ball against a wall.

Suddenly a burst of power strikes the ground right at her feet where she lands and she quickly leaps off onto the spike above her. Landing, she brings up her hand, wrapping two fingers through the loop on her weapon which hangs on the piece of armor across her shoulder. The loop is attached to a magic line of rope that can extend when she wishes it to. The line is connected to her actual weapon; two dagger blades curve out in opposite directions from the ring they're connected too which makes up the handle. Four bars, making an 'x' formation, connect to a round center piece which is decorated in spiraling fire designs.

Kiyoshi had given it to her the moment she passed her last class back at the school. She carries it with pride.

She shifts her gaze around quickly, looking for her target.

"I see he was right. You are different from the others." Calls a smooth voice from nearby above her.

Lee finds him quickly.

His long black braided hair waves in the wind. He wears a long white kimono covered by armor much like Sesshomaru wears. Black arm bands and leg bands finish off the outfit and a red wrap circles his waist. His armor, white with blue feather-like designs, makes him look like a proud samurai, but Lee knows better. A dark aura is pulsing all around this man.

'_Great, now what…?_' Lee rolls her eyes and drops her hands to rest on her hips.

"Can I help you? I'm kinda busy here." She calls.

"Yes, I can see that. So you want to get inside this mountain?"

"Uh…Duh." She sighs.

"Well then you'll have to get past me." He grins and points a thumb at his chest.

'_Joy._' Lee tugs on her waist wrap to see if it's tight, but pauses as a light bulb goes off in her head. '_Wait. That voice…_'

"Are you, Bankotsu?" She asks.

He stares at her for a good long time, wondering how exactly she had known his name. "Why, yes. And you are?"

"Lee. Lee of the Cavern village. You attacked it a couple of days ago; I really hope you didn't forget."

"Ah, yes. That pathetic little village of useless demons and humans; even despicable half-demons were housed there." He laughs, rubbing a hand through his hair.

A blaze of anger twists into her veins, but she pushes it back.

"I guess you were the only one who made it out."

"Yeah, I was." She snaps.

"I can see you're angry. Did my killing all those people upset you?" He leaps off the spike he stands on and onto another one closer to her level.

" 'Those people' were my friends." She growls. "They were my family!"

"And the teacher? Was she your family too?" His grin widens.

Lee grinds her teeth, glaring. Her tongue draws farther back into her mouth, getting ready to spit out fire.

"Now what was her name? She had said something about a 'Lee' while we were heading here. What was it?" He crosses his arms as he acts like he's thinking. "Oh, right! Kiyoshi, that was her name; annoying old hag."

'_What?_' Her eyes jerk open. In a flash, her hand flies to her shoulder armor, ripping off her weapon link hanging there and she sends it flying at him. She slips the main ring, the one that she uses to hang on her armor, around her wrists like a bracelet so that her weapon doesn't fly off.

"Wa-oh!" He leaps up as the weapon hits the spike he stands on, knocking it loose from the mountain side and it falls away into the darkness below. "Wow!" He laughs, landing back on the spike he had been on before. "That was amazingly impressive! Much more impressive than I believed it would be."

"Glad I amuse you." She throws her weapon again, this time aiming for his heart.

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru! Look!" Jaken calls from beside him.

Sesshomaru looks up just as he says this. Two trails of dust are coming at him at incredible speed.

"Hey, you!" Someone yells.

Sesshomaru stops as he's reaching for his sword. The first dust trail comes to a halt, revealing a young woman with jet black hair and sharp blue eyes. Her hair is partly tied back with a white tie. A pair of dark red jewels hang from her ears like blood tears from the devil himself. She puts her hands on her hips as she comes to a stop. The dust rail behind her stops too and reveals the young man following her. His hair is a dark brown and his eyes are as green as the grass.

"Are you Inuyasha?" The young woman asks.

"Don't you dare confuse Lord Sesshomaru with that trash!" Jaken snaps at her, waving his staff in her face. She brushes it away.

"So you're Sesshomaru?" The young man asks, his eyes widening in shock.

"Who are you?" Rin asks from atop Aun.

"I'm Moriko and this is Ryu. We're looking for Inuyasha, so have you seen him?" Moriko asks, crossing her arms.

"We do not make it habit to run into that half-breed." Jaken growls, going to stand by Sesshomaru's side.

Moriko glares at him.

"We're not saying that you do, but-." Ryu rests his hand on his companions shoulder, but Sesshomaru cuts him off.

"No we have not seen him. You are the ones who travel with Lee are you not."

Behind him Rin gasps quietly.

Moriko draws a breath to say something back, but her words are stopped when Ryu covers her mouth. "Yes, we are. Why do you ask?"

"Because he's the one who tamed her, you loser!" Moriko pulls out of his grip and jabs a finger into his chest.

"What are you talking about? I thought it was the other way around." He scratches his head.

"No one would ever be able to tame my lord!" Jaken jumps into the conversation quickly. He's knocked to the ground when Sesshomaru takes a step forward.

"Enough of your talk, where is she at this time?" He asks, his voice taking on a heavier tone. Moriko stares at him good and hard for a long time, deciding on whether or not this man is good or bad, but she shuts her eyes and sighs, giving in.

'Lee makes her own choices.' She reminds herself. She turns back towards the mountain, far off above the hill, and points at it. "She apparently made it through the barrier and is now inside. Where exactly is beyond me."

Sesshomaru stares up at the mountain, still shrouded in a glowing mist, and takes a few moments to think. 'How could one such as her make it through the barrier when even I am repelled by it?'

"Are you going after her?" Moriko asks, staring at him again.

"The barrier repels even me."

"You can at least try." She growls.

"Don't talk like that to him! He has been trying to get close since we arrived here! He even told Rin to stay back so that the barrier wouldn't affect her!" Jaken snaps, waving his staff again to point out his anger.

Moriko steps back, but her eyes widen in surprise. 'Is what this toad says true?' She glances up at the tall demon before her. His eyes of cold emotion hold no kindness, but his power is plainly seen. Could this heartless man really have just that, a heart?

"Moriko, let's leave these kind people alone and carry on to find Inuyasha. He's got to be around here somewhere." Ryu grabs her shoulder and starts tugging her away.

"Yeah, fly around and see if you can spot anything from the air. Let me know when you find them." She nods.

"Got it." He bends at the knees a little so that he can leap into the air. His body shifts and blurs until there's nothing left, but a blue and white dragon in his place. Sesshomaru stares after the boy.

"He's a shifter if you want to know. It's his talent." Moriko answers his questioning eyes before running off in the same direction as the dragon.

Sesshomaru follows the girl with his eyes. Lee chose these as companions?

* * *

The ground explodes around her, but she dodges just in time.

"Ha! You're actually really fun to play with. I should've located you before I died. This kind of battle was what I wanted, but then again, I've fought strong ones like you before. The only thing you've got going on your side is cleverness. The other's didn't have that; it's probably the reason they died so soon before I got any fun out of it."

"Glad to hear it." Lee rolls her eyes, dusting the dirt off herself.

"You don't even sound out of breath." He chuckles.

"Because I'm not. This ain't even much of a work out for me. I've fought lower class demons who gave me more of a challenge."

His eye twitches ever so slightly.

'_Hmm...must have hit a nerve there._' Lee grins.

"Well then let me stop going easy on you." He raises his sword and brings it down over the ground, much like Inuyasha calls his Wind Scar, and the earth tears up, rumbling straight towards her at an even faster pace.

She winces and leaps up, barely missing it by a hair. "Wow!" She lands up on another rock since they have somehow made it up to a level part of the mountain. "You really were holding out on me. You could actually prove annoying." She smiles.

"Shut up and come at me. I want to kill you now and take that weapon of yours as a souvenir."

"Well, that'd be kinda hard because if I die, then it kinda burns up into ash."

He stops mid-swing. "Huh?"

"Yeah, doll, it's called a bonding. The weapon only works for me and if I die, it dies along with me. I could show you if you'd like. Though I'm not sure your normal human brain could keep up." Lee smirks.

'_Wow, I can't believe I'm dicing humans now; especially since I used to be one of them. I sound like Sesshomaru._' The thought makes her smile wider.

He growls and swings his sword, sending another wave of earth barreling at her where she's perched. This time she shortens the length of the line on her weapon and spins it around her, making a dome around her body, and she breaks out her fire to engulf it. The fire dome surrounds her, but she doesn't have enough time to make it strong enough. The wave hits her and she's thrown back into the hard wall behind her.

"Ha, not so tough as I thought. Are you really that easy to beat?" He calls out to her. There's no answer. She had fallen behind the rocks and is now out of sight. "Dead are we? I'm actually disappointed. Well, that's enough fun for one day." He turns around and walks off down the slope.

A ball of rocks and blazing fire strikes him from somewhere behind him and he's thrown to the ground.

"What the-?" He struggles to look back over his shoulder from his place in the dirt. "What kind of power was that?"

"My kind."

He spots her, climbing out from behind two rocks to stand on top. Fire twists and spirals around her, licking at her hair and clothes, but not harming her at all. The power radiating off her hits him and he leaps back, baring his sword once more.

"I guess the real game is about to begin."

"Yep." A grin touches her lips, while her anger for this man fills her up once more.

* * *

_Sorry ending, but who cares? :D_

_Lee: I'm had so much fun!_

_And you're still not done yet._

_Lee: I'm not?..._

_No. Why are you even asking? You should know that._

_Lee: How would you expect me to know that?_

…_.Uh, duh, you live in my BRAIN! Wake up!_

_Anyhoo, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and review! (And please don't be too hateful :D )_


	22. Chapter 22

Okay, I know some of you were excited to see the big fight between Lee and Bankotsu, but I realized that is would tear up the story line, so I let them have a little spat and then I had to throw his off a cliff. But don't worry! He's not dead! Inuyasha hasn't killed him…yet, I hope.

_Anyhoo, this chapter, I decided to give it a little evil twist, so the ending is going to be really hateful because I stopped it right at a good part._

_Hey, hey! Don't get mad at me! It keeps you lovable guys coming back right? I have to have some way of keeping you awesome readers interested._

_So, I'm going to introduce a really awesome character that I made up and totally adore…and really hate, so y'all tell me how you like him._

_Read and enjoy! (And yes, reviews are welcomed)_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 22-

Bankotsu swings his sword again and it flies right under her feet. Lee leaps swiftly off the ground, lands for a split second on his blade while it zooms away under her, and then off it again not a moment later to land on the ground.

The instant she lands on the ground, she throws herself backwards, flipping through the air, to avoid his blade as it comes down where she had been standing; shredding open the earth again and sending pieces flying.

Bankotsu laughs. "This is way too much fun. Now would you please stop bouncing around so I can kill you? Naraku wants you dead and I'm going to make sure you are."

"So you do work for him." Lee accuses.

"No, no. I don't work for anyone. He promised me and my brothers the jewels shards. If I kill off all of his pursuers then the jewel will be ours." He waves off her allegation.

Lee blinks in confusion. If this guy doesn't work for Naraku then why does he listen to him? This human can't truly think that Naraku would give up the jewel. Naraku's too stingy and power hungry to give up the most powerful force in this time period.

Bankotsu starts walking around her in a circle. "Once we have the jewel, this world will slowly fall under the control of the Band of Seven. We'll be able to get revenge on those who destroyed us before our time had come."

Sadly for him, Lee is already lost in her own thoughts, staring at the ground rubbing her chin with her other hand on her hip. She doesn't even listen to him anymore, zoning him out and sinking into her mind away from everything around her.

He continues to blab and blab and blab. Talking on and on as he pours out his plans to rule the world and how he was going to double-cross Naraku or something like that.

'_So Naraku is using the jewel as leverage to get these guys to do his dirty work, these Seven are causing all this chaos because they think they're going to get a cut of the jewel, and someone or something is making this barrier to keep people away from Naraku. What is Naraku doing that is so important that he wouldn't want anyone to get too close? How is he making a barrier so pure and so powerful? It's beyond me._' Lee shakes her head.

"Hey! Are you listening to me?" Bankotsu, anger flaring, swings his sword; charging forward.

The sword comes to a sudden halt in a second, Lee's hand coming up to grab the blade with her claws without her so much as looking up.

She blinks when she realizes that her reflexes just kicked in and took control to stop said blade and glares forward.

"You just tried to attack me when I wasn't even paying attention?" She turns her glare to his eyes. "That's cold."

She throws his blade away, tossing him with it, and he flies backward and hits a rock wall.

"You son of a-!" He growls.

"Hey, hey, hey! None of that language around me, please." She cuts him off.

He charges again, this time his new anger making a swirl of dark energy twist around his blade. Seeing this, Lee's eyes widen a little. His aura really is twisted.

She side steps the attack again, but barely misses his next swing when he spins around once more. The blade skims her right above her collar bone, slicing her skin open and drawing a thin line of blood.

They both land a couple of feet away from each other. Bankotsu smiles.

"Well, if I hadn't been given the order to kill you, then I'd definitely choose you as a bride. One as strong as you would look fine on my arm."

"Keep dreaming, loser." Lee gags.

He throws his head back to laugh loudly. As soon as it had started, his laughter stops and a soft wind blows from behind him, getting his attention. He looks back over his shoulder for a split second.

"Damn. Well, I guess I'm going to have to cut this short, darling." He spins back to her with a smile much different than the one he had given her before. It's too slick, too smooth; just like his voice.

And that's it. He disappears off the side of the cliff, vanishing into the mist.

Lee stares after him, dumbstruck. "Wait…What just…happened?" Her blank face goes screws up in even deeper confusion than before. "What the hay?"

* * *

"Great. Come to a mountain to find the top and all I do is get lost even worse than when I started." Lee kicks at a rock and then jerks it back with a wince. "GACK!"

Her foot gets the hurt and the rock gets nothing.

"I got the worst luck." She growls. Sighing, she stares out over the scenery around her. She's near the top of the mountain and yet there's nothing here. Not a single thing. She'd rather be back in the dead scar.

With a roll of her eyes, she spins around on her heel and heads back the way she had come.

"_Lee…_"

She comes to a sudden halt.

"_Lee…_"

She spins back around. That voice, a voice that whispers like a wisp of wind. She knows that voice. "Kiyoshi?"

"_Lee…_"

Without a second thought, she takes off in the opposite direction, heading farther up the mountain.

'_Kiyoshi is here? Yes, I heard her, but where is she? I can't sense her anywhere near me._' Lee thinks. Rounding the corner, she skids to a stop. Miroku and Sango are not ten feet ahead of her. They stand close to each other, talking about something. How'd they get in?

"Hey!" She calls, approaching them.

They turn around to face her. "Oh, Lee, how are you? I didn't expect to see you here." Sango smiles.

"How did you get in?" Miroku nearly jumps her again, his face a bit too warm and welcoming, but Lee plants her palm against his forehead and holds him back with a roll of her eyes.

"Honestly, I have no idea, but I'd appreciate it if we keep the hugs to a minimum, thanks."

"Good idea." Sango grabs him by the ear and jerks him away.

"So what happened here? Did you guys find anything?" Lee glances past them and looks over the pile of rubble they had been staring at. It looks like it had been some kind of small shelter-like thing.

"We found a man up here. Well, he wasn't even a man, really. He was dead, but still somehow alive." Miroku starts to rub his chin in thought.

"Dead but alive? That makes no sense." Lee glares at him.

"But it's true. His name was Saint Hakushin. We found out some information about him from a little island not too far from here, but it seems Naraku had lead us into a trap because we were attacked by Bankotsu there." Sango tells her.

"Huh. Well, at least I know now why he ran off like a chicken." Lee crosses her arms.

"You ran into him?" Sango asks.

"Fought him actually. He's a lot stronger than he looks."

"I know, I was watching Inuyasha fight him and even he was having trouble against him. Kagome says that she saw a sacred jewel shard in his neck, just like all the other Band of Seven members."

"In his neck?" Lee wonders. '_Is that what I saw swirling around him? It looked so dark. Don't tell me I can see sacred jewel shards too! That's Kagome's talent not mine!_'

"So when you fought him what happened?" Sango interrupts her thoughts.

"Nothing much. He just kept saying how much fun he was having and basically being a big ego-maniac."

"Just like Inuyasha." The two women chuckle at the same time.

"Well, we're going to have to keep going up. I'm sensing something from this mountain and it seems to be coming from **inside**. Will you join us?" Miroku asks, back to his normal nice self.

"I'm going to have to pass. I here looking for Naraku, sure, but Bankotsu is the one who physically attacked my home and I'm going to kill him first." Lee answers, staring up at the mountain's peak. It stands dark and silent against the red sky.

"Alright, well, please be careful."

Lee is about to grab for his hand, but she stares down in shock. He's frozen in place, his fingers reaching in mid-air for her backside.

"What's the matter, Miroku? Finally, turning into a gentleman?" Lee grins in delight.

He trembles and his eyebrows are pulled tight together in confusion and frustration.

"Miroku…"

"AH!" He finally moves, shifting to recoil away from the demon slayer's boiling fury. Even Lee can almost see the fires of anger swirling around her.

"I'll see you love-birds later." Lee starts, taking a step back away from Sango when she turns to glare at her instead. "I'll, uh, see you around. Have fun!"

She takes off, leaving behind her a trail of dust. There is no way she wants to be around Sango when she's mad. It scares her.

She passes the pile of rubble on her way, getting a quick look at it as she goes by. A bit of…something has been left behind. It's…pure; glowing a hazy purple just like the mountain.

* * *

A dark laughter has begun again below her and Kagura turns towards it. "What is it now?"

The mirror that had been made before her blurs again and a new image is shown.

"It seems the monk and the demon slayer are coming to pay us a visit." The dark, smooth as silk, voice says from below her in the darkness. "Prepare for their arrival…and I don't want any mistakes."

Kagura narrows her eyes. "Alight, alright." Lifting her fan blade, she sends a blast of wind swirling up tall void above her. She knows that somewhere up there, the mountain opens up, like a volcano, but Naraku had blocked it off. There's no way anyone could get through.

* * *

"Man, now I know why I hate mountains. All this climbing is giving me cramps." Lee complains, reaching up again for another hand hold. The path way had eventually given way to this climb so she really can't complain much. It's the mountain's fault.

She sticks out her tongue to the wall of rocks under her. "Stupid mountain."

After what seems like ages, Lee scrambles her way up and over onto the top ledge; rolling over onto her back. "Whew! Thank you, God! I thought there wasn't a top to be found."

As she lays there, breathing, she turns her head to the side to look around. If there had been an entrance inside, it's now blocked by a pile of rocks.

"Dangit!" She slams her fists into the ground and fire flares up around them for a second before dying away. She goes silent and stares up at the sky above her, through the swirling red shield around the mountain.

'_Wait. When had it turned red?_' She stands up and starts to really look around. Up here at the top, the wind is hard and rough, but it doesn't budge her an inch.

As she stares down in horror, she watches as the shield changes a darker red and the mountain itself, shifts and reforms; becoming like stone and spikes of rocks all over the place. It's like a demon mountain. There are no trees and no life anywhere now. It's all dead.

"What's going on?" Lee whispers to the wind, her face falling into worry. Her eyes sweep sadly over the mountain below her.

"_Lee…_"

The voice comes again.

"Kiyoshi?" Lee spins around, her eyes scanning the mountain top. There's no one here except her and the wind. "I could've sworn…"

She finally looks over the pile of rocks blocking…something. It has to be a hole or a entrance or something at least, so Lee lets loose her fire and starts beating away at the pile, every hit blasting away at it and getting her closer to whatever it's hiding. The work is nothing to her, easier than she thought it would be.

With one last heavy attack of her fire, the pile explodes off the top of the mountain, falling down the side of the cliffs far below.

She quickly runs up to the treasure. "I'm finally in!"

She stops. Her face drops.

A glowing red shield is blocking the hole; obviously this mountain used to be a volcano.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She yells, scratching at the shield that doesn't even budge at her blows. She finally allows her fire to join her battle, but nothing seems to work. "Darn it!" She finally slams her fist into it and her fire is just repelled; sending sparks flying everywhere like the Fourth of July!

"This is really ruining my day." She grumbles under her breath. A screeching sound echoes on the wind behind her in response. "Great, now what?"

She stands up and glares out into the sky around her. Dark clouds circle around the mountain top, high in the sky now, but getting closer with each second.

"What the-?" Her eyes narrow in suspicion. Clouds don't move like that.

A great gust of wind blows away the cloud and in its place are hundreds of demons barreling straight at her!

"What?"

She dodges just as they hit the ground, her body rolling out across the mountain top and just barely missing the edge. She stops herself before she can fall off.

She looks up. The demons are all disappearing down into the hole, past the shield that she could not seem to break.

"Someone's calling them in." She whispers in realization. "Well," She starts, getting to her feet, "I can't do anything to get in with those guys in the way. Now what?"

The demons just keep on coming, there's no end in sight for miles. She throws fire at the horde of demons a couple of times and the train is destroyed for a split second, but there's not enough time or room for her to jump in with them before even more demons fill the void. She rolls her eyes. It's funny how none of the demons even notice her.

A flash of lightning tears across the sky, along with a very familiar voice.

"Dragon Strike." A blue streak of lightning, rips out again and tears into the train of demons, reducing them to dust.

"Sesshomaru!" She whispers, spinning around and looking up. He's flying on…nothing. Aun is nowhere in sight.

'_Then how…?_' She thinks.

He puts himself in the path of the demons as more start to come. Her eyes widen in fright. There's no way he's going to fight them all, but there's no way she can help him since he's outside of the barrier.

"Sesshomaru!" She yells now.

He glances back over his shoulder for a split second before turning back to the battle approaching him. "I'll buy you some time. Get to work."

"Work?" She asks herself. "Oh!" Turning around she spots the barrier.

"Dragon Strike." Again he lets out a blast of power and the demons are all destroyed, but more just keep coming.

"Alright, the sooner I do this, the sooner he can get out of harm's way." Lee tells herself. She reaches behind her back and unclips her weapon from the line. She runs and rebounds off a boulder, throwing herself high into the sky, as high as she can jump, and then pulls her arm back. Swirling her fire around her weapon, it begins to spins around faster and faster until it's a blur even to her. She keeps her hand about an inch next to it so that she can guide it when she throws it. Once its powered up, she does just that, hurling it down at the barrier, and it crashes into it.

The attack has the red haze, buckling and wavering, but it continues to hold strong.

"One more." She smiles as she lands on the ground, catching her weapon as it comes zooming back to her like a boomerang. She repeats the attack, jumping high into the air, powering up her spinning blades with fire power, and then throwing it at the barrier.

This time, it breaks like glass, when the weapon hits it head on. Dropping back down, Lee catches her weapon and lands; smiling proudly at her work. The hole, now open, looks darker and deeper than she had thought it would be. Her eyes shoot back up at the sky, looking for Sesshomaru instantly.

He still hovers there in the sky, just outside the barrier, blasting away the demons whenever they get too close.

"I'm through!" She calls.

He glances back right after he destroys yet another round of demons and faces her. Their eyes lock.

"I'm going in." She calls a bit softer.

He nods slowly.

"And yes, I'll be careful."

Again, he nods, but she can see something change in his eyes. Did they soften just a bit? With that, she forces herself to look away and she jumps down into the darkness below. It swallows her whole, sending shivers up her body. It's like it's brushing against her skin; as if it's alive. Her eyes narrow and her night vision kicks in. She can't see anything below her!

The shadows, the darkness around her, seem to tremble and shiver; wrapping around her, threading through her hair, and slivering through her fingers. It's cold.

'_What is this stuff?_' She wonders, trying to flick it away from her. It just molds back, returning to caress against her. '_This is sick!_' Quicker than lightning, she lets loose her fire, allowing it to cover her and burn brightly. The shadows seems to reluctantly leave her, but they do, practically crying out.

'_Okay this is just weird…_'

"No, it is me…" A silky voice answers her.

"What the-?" She looks around, trying to find the where the voice comes from, but all she can see is darkness; an unnatural darkness.

A laughter, smoother than before, answers her. "If you wish to find me, if you wish to come to me, then come to me. I will wait for you."

"Who are you?" Lee calls out, her voice echoing around her. The voice sounds familiar, but so much different. It's powerful, like Sesshomaru's, but it's cold and void of life itself. It makes her feel smaller than she wants to be.

"I've got to stop eating fish for breakfast." Lee rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

Suddenly the hole she's in, narrows quite quickly around her and she crosses her ankle and arms, to make herself smaller.

She quickly gets her vision back, so she knows light is about to come. In preparation, she closes her eyes and allows gravity to take her the rest of the way.

Her fall ends in a flash, landing her on top of something.

"OW!"

"OUCH!"

Lee cries out in annoyance as she falls onto someone. They feel furry and soft.

"Huh?" Lifting her arm, she glances down.

"Would you get offa me?" Inuyasha growls through his teeth and glaring up at her.

"Inu!" She grabs him around his neck , forcing his face to burry farther into the dirt, and laughs. "I'm so glad I had you to soften my fall."

"Glad you're happy, now get off!" His voice is mumbled into the ground. "If I wasn't so used to tasting dirt and hitting the ground thanks to Kagome then this would've probably hurt worse."

"Yep, yep!" Lee pats his head and then helps him to his feet. "Wait a second…" She looks up closer at his face. His eyes are no longer those pretty gold and his hair has turned black.

"Yeah, I'm not a half-demon anymore, thanks to that stupid barrier." He crosses his arms and glares at her.

"No, I was going to ask what happened to your ears." She grabs his fully human ear and tugs. "Where are the puppy ears?"

"OW, OW, OW, OW, OW! Lemme go!" He stumbles trying to get his footing so he can pull himself away.

"Oh, right, human. You feel pain more now." Lee quickly lets him go and he falls backwards right back into the dirt. "Whoops! Sorry about that." She laughs, waving her hands in apology.

"Yeah, sure ya are!" He glares up at her.

* * *

"So you, just ran in?" Lee asks as they walk down the tunnel.

"Yeah, the barrier suddenly changed red, so I knew something was up. That and Sango and Miroku were gone a long time too." He answers.

"Oh, yeah, I saw them up near the top. They said they had run into some guy named Saint… Hakushin? I think that's what they called him."

"So they did find him, huh?" He stares down at his feet.

Lee pats his shoulder. "Hey, cheer up. I bet they've already found Naraku and killed him by now."

"I sure hope not! I want some of the glory too." He lifts his head and crosses his arms.

"Yep, typical male pride." Lee mumbles under her breath with a smile.

"Did you say something?" He narrows his eyes.

"Nope!" She grins.

They come to a stop, staring at a fork in the road. Glancing back and forth, they stand there for a good long moment.

"So which way do you want?" She asks him.

"I'll go that way." He points to the left.

"Then I'll take the right."

"Be careful. I have a feeling something bad is about to start." He tells her.

"Me too."

They part ways once again and Lee is swallowed by darkness again soon after as she walks. "I guess I'm getting deeper into the mountain." She whispers, starting to miss Inuyasha's big mouth right about now.

"Yes, you are…"

The voice makes her stop again. The darkness moves, then, squirming around her and shivering across her skin once more. It begins to snakes around her in thin little wisps, like fingers. Her face screws up in disgust and her hands brush it away quickly. "What in the world is this? Who are you?" She glares up at the roof of the tunnel.

"Mmm…you anger is so filling. Come to me. I will lead you." The voice answers. "Follow my darkness." Wisps again sliver around her ankles, leaving cold trails across her skin. She's about to set them on fire when they suddenly begin to glow a faded black, giving her very little light to see, and motion her forward. She glares after them, not sure what to do, but she shakes her head.

'_Just go along. It may lead you to Naraku._' She thinks.

"Yes it just may…" The voice chuckles darkly as Lee takes a step forward into the shadows, following the dark strands of light as they lead her deeper into the heart of the mountain.

* * *

"Naraku. Inuyasha, the monk, and the demon slayer have all made it in. Not only that, but the demon girl you told me to keep an eye on has also found her way in here. The barrier isn't working anymore." Kagura says down into the darkness below her.

Naraku's face appears in that darkness. "The barrier is doing just as I wished it too. Not only is Inuyasha now human because of it, it is also drawing those with weak minds towards me. The monk and the demon slayer are both nearly here as we speak."

"Shall I go and take care of them?" She asks, opening her fan and lowering her voice, trying not to let him hear the annoyance in it.

"Yes." He tells her.

"We didn't get very many demons to come to us, but I guess I'll make do with what was acquired." In a blast of wind, she disappears.

"Those demons are all we will need." Naraku chuckles. "I have the one thing I need willingly coming to see me."

* * *

"Geez, how long is this going to take? I can't be that far from the center." Lee says, turning around yet another corner; feeling along with her hands. Every so often, those wisps of dark strands will sliver through her finger like cold snakes and she'll pull her hands back close to her chest. She doesn't know why, but these wisps are making her feel shaky; more off than usual.

"Come to me." The voice calls her again when she stops.

"Why are you wanting me to go to you? I need to find Naraku." She answers it.

"I can help you, but I need you to come to me, first." The voice, colder than ice, responds.

Lee glances around, unsure. She knows she can't think because the voice can apparently hear her and she can't talk because then it'll really be able to hear her. The only thing she can do is go on feeling and right now, she's feeling shaky and weak-kneed. Honestly, she wants to go back and look for Inuyasha, but every time she looks back, the slivers of black strands would urge her forward and block her path. That and the darkness behind her scares her. It's like she's being watched.

"Fine." She mumbles to herself.

"Excellent." The voice answers.

She starts to move forward once more. Again, when she tries to reach forward and feel around for the walls, something different occurs. The black strands swirl around her hands and seem to solidify almost. Ghostly fingers curl around her palms.

"Come. You're almost here."

She wants to pull back, but the 'hand' is too strong.

'_It's so cold…_' She thinks.

"This isn't nothing." It answers.

She narrows her eyes into the darkness.

* * *

Naraku shifts in anticipation. His patience is growing thin. Around him, he can feel his power growing with each second. 'My body is almost complete.' He grins darkly.

Again he searches for it, that aura that will make him unstoppable. With it at his side, no one will touch him. He will defeat any enemy.

'Come to me!' He thinks. The aura gets closer and closer, but it's so far out of his reach. His teeth grind, impatiently. "Come!"

* * *

She comes to a stop yet again, nearly tripping over a rock. The 'hand' holds her up, steadying her.

"Come, hurry." It says when she takes a step over the obstacle.

"You're really impatient you know that. I can't see anything in this darkness. Go easy on me." Lee snaps softly.

"My glow will light your path soon enough, but you must be closer to me." The voice seems to be becoming less of an echo and more of an actual voice. She can feel a soft wind, like breath, shifting around her body, breathing. The voice is almost…real. It's stronger, less ghost like. It's actually beginning to take a form now, but she still can't tell if it's a man or a woman. She quickly shakes her head. It's too deep to be woman's voice.

As promised, the darkness lets up just a hair and her night vision takes over. The hand holding her is disappearing now.

"Come to me. Come, princess."

"Princess?" Lee nearly laughs.

"Yes, you control fire so fluidly, so easily. You must be a princess of fire." The voice answers.

The complement actually works. "Well, thanks but I'm not really royalty."

"Here you can be. Inside this mountain, one can be anything they wish."

Lee stops for only a second. "I don't really get what you're saying…"

The voice chuckles again, sounding lighter and less dark. Lee shrugs and stares at the rocky ground now that she can see it. Her feet are bare, she had taken her sandals off so that she could climb up the rocks outside the mountain, but the ground here doesn't seem to bother her. It's almost soft to the touch.

'_Weird…_'

* * *

"Come." Naraku whispers harder. The aura is almost to him. He thrusts out his power and makes the walls around him change. They shift in response, waiting his command. "Go. Be welcoming, be soft." He orders.

The walls seem to move, flowing like silk in the darkness; leaving him to do his bidding.

"I will have it. That power will be mine." He grins and once more lets out a small amount of power, this time to the fleshy body around him. It quivers.

"Go. Do my biding and follow my every command." He tells the flesh. It trembles and begins to change, moving away from him.

* * *

"Okay, now I can see." Lee smiles in relief, turning a corner. A light is shining from somewhere, although she doesn't think it's a light. It's more like a glow. A faded purplish-black glow. "I guess the voice was right." She says to herself.

"As I promised you." The voice is definitely a man. It's like it's right next to her, touching her. Suddenly, the ground changes and she looks down. It's no longer rock. It's smooth polished marble. The walls too have changed into the same thing. She smiles.

"Finally, something I can stand on without tripping." Lee chuckles.

"You laughter is so pleasant. You sound so close." The voice speaks, changing again, turning softer, more real. "It has felt like eons since I was in someone else presence."

"Why? Are you stuck here?"

"In a way."

This throws Lee. "Okay, I'll get you out anyway I can…if I can." Her sentence dies away.

"You are already helping."

"How?"

"By coming to join me."

Lee smiles. This guy sure is nice. Whoever he is.

"Yes, you are here! Come!"

* * *

Naraku's eyes open wide and he smiles triumphantly. The aura is now within his grasp. Now all that's left is to bring it under his control.

He sinks back into the darkness.

* * *

"Hello?" She stops. The hallway/tunnel has opened up to a room, a huge room; the walls, ceiling and floor are made of the same polished marble. It's shiny blue, like the night sky, which you'd think would make the room darker, but a bright glow illuminates the room and yet it's so soft. "Hello?" She calls again, her eyes scanning in wonder around the room. It's truly beautiful. Then again, she has really weird tastes.

"Um…" She lets her voice trail off.

"Come in. Join me."

Across the room, directly opposite of her tunnel is yet another one, traveling away from her. The darkness beyond is so thick that she can't see a thing, so she ignores it and steps once into the room, shyly. She stares at her dirty feet.

'_I'm messing up the floor. I really hope he doesn't mind._'

"Not at all, princess."

Her eyes lift up to the voice, so close she feels like she can reach out and touch it.

Out of the shadows of the tunnel across from her, a figure moves towards her. His feet are bare, just like hers. He wears long familiar white pants that flare out around his legs. Battle armor as black as the night covers him only this armor only covers his chest and not across his shoulders. A smile forms on her face and she's about to scream out his name, but then she realizes it's not quit him.

This man, instead of a long scarf of furriness across his shoulder, has faded black chains, circling around under his right arm and over his right shoulder in a continuous wrap until it finally hangs down behind him, no doubt chained to his armor behind his back. It looks heavy, but it doesn't seem to slow him down at all as he continues to glide out of the shadows, letting the light reveal him.

Again, she is about to call out Sesshomaru's name, but it suddenly won't come to her mind.

The man finally steps into full view and she nearly gasps. He looks almost like Sesshomaru, only something seems different. His long, knee-length silver hair, is pulled back into a pony-tail and his bangs nearly cover his silver blue, cat-like eyes. Instead of two red marks on either cheek, like someone else she knows, there is a single dark black crooked line on either side. And instead of there being a bright purple moon facing to the left, there is a dark blue, almost glowing, moon with a tiny star in the center facing the opposite direction.

"You're…"

"Not who you wish?" The man asks, his voice now clear as bells in her ears. It sends shiver down her spine.

"No! No…it's just…uh…you looked like…someone I know." Lee answers shakily, looking down at the floor. She can feel heat tearing at her face.

"Like Sesshomaru?" He tilts his head ever so slightly to the side in question.

"How'd you know...?" She blinks at him in surprise, but also in shock at herself. How come she couldn't remember Sesshomaru's name?

* * *

_Like I said, I would stop it in a terrible place._

_So how does everyone like the new guy? Seems to look a lot like Sesshomaru huh? Yeah, I did that on purpose. I'm thinking about drawing some fan art with him and Lee and then a few with Lee and Sesshomaru, but I'm not sure yet. What do y'all think? Want to see some art?_

_Also, I don't know my new guy's name yet…any suggestions?_

_Anyhoo, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and review!_


	23. Chapter 23

_Here's the next chapter and Naraku has been found. The big battle is about to begin!_

_Hope y'all like it!_

_Read and enjoy! (And yes, reviews are welcomed)_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 23-

"May I know your name?" The man asks, he holds out his hand to her. Involuntarily, she takes a step closer.

"Lee. Lee of the Cavern village." She answers truthfully. Against her waist, her weapon begins to pulse and heat up a bit. Lee doesn't notice.

His silver-blue eyes smiles as he does. "Caverns don't suit you. You should've been living in a palace."

"I already told you, I'm not royalty." Lee shrugs, laughing a little.

"But your beauty tells otherwise."

Lee shifts her eyes away. She can't look into those eyes. "Is there any way I can help you? Do you know how I can get you out of here?" She asks.

He moves a step towards her, gliding as if he's moving on ice, and stops about middle way into the room. With a wave of his hand, ice shoots up in spears from the floor in all corners of the room. The ice melts away and reveals torches held up on tall black, twisting, metal pedestals. Lee gazes at them in amazement.

"I can control ice and any form I wish to." He answers her questioning gaze.

"Form?" Her ears pick that up.

"Yes, although this is my true one, I can take the form of anyone I please, but I hate being anyone other than myself." He gazes into her eyes, those pools of silvery-blue becoming intense. She looks away again, returning her eyes back to the torches around them. The flames are white as snow with highlights of sparkling blues. The fire amazes her.

"So, you're a demon then." It's a statement she gives him instead of a question.

"Yes, I was trapped here not too long ago."

"Do you know of Naraku?" She asks, still refusing to look at him.

"Ah, yes." He answers, his tone going stern and cold.

Lee looks back at him then. His face looks sad and distant.

"The demon who poisons my mountain with evil. It is what trapped me here." He explains.

"Then all I have to do is kill him and you'll be free then." Lee exclaims, a smile forming on her face.

"You're kindness matches your beauty, I see. Why do you wish to help me so dearly?" He smiles at her.

"Well, I have to…I want to. No one should be slave to Naraku. It's wrong." Lee takes a step towards him and clench her fists.

"Then if you wish to help me, you must listen to me."

"I already am." Lee smiles folding her hand neatly at her side.

"To be free, this mountain must once again know goodness. It must once again see light. The strongest light in the world, in all living beings, is our aura. Depending on if our soul is good or bad, our aura's take on a certain brightness."

"So if we can brighten a soul then you'll be free? I'm confused."

"As an Aura demon, I can see and feel souls, but it is also a curse to me." His face falls again. That beautiful face turns into a deep sadness that pulls at Lee's heart.

"How?"

"I am…drawn to auras. I can absorb them into me if I wish. They become part of me. Although, if the aura I take is a certain kind of strength, and it becomes a part of me, then that person's soul will also become a part of me." He holds out his hand as if to make her see.

"So…in a way, you'll be able to control them?" Lee tilts her head a bit.

"No, not control, influence." He smiles.

Lee rubs her chin. "So if you can find a soul strong enough, and one that won't become a part of you, then you'll be able to make it bright enough to free yourself. I think I get it now."

"Also, a kindness must be released. You freeing me should be enough to handle that." His voice becomes unimaginably warm and Lee can't help, but react to it. Her feet bring her closer to him and she takes his hand, smooth and cold as glass.

"Where can I get the right soul though?"

"I believe yours may be strong enough. I can see it. It's pure and unmistakably beautiful. You truly are a princess."

Lee lowers her eyes again, heat touching her face. "No, I'm not."

"Did I not tell you that here, you can be anything."

Suddenly, something changes around her. Lee gazes down in shock and amazement again. Her kimono and battle armor have disappeared and become a long, flowing, strapless, a-frame, dark blue dress. It's so long that is covers her feet and drapes a few inches across the floor. Her hair falls down around her in its same color only changing from straight to those soft curls she had before when she had been human. Chains of fine white silver and beads, thread into her hair around her head. Earrings of the same makings appear in her ears and a necklace with a long diamond, like an ice fragment, circles her neck.

She gasps, shakily. "What…?"

"You are a princess. The ice world looks lovely on you. You were made for it." He tells her, his voice lowering until it's deep again.

It caresses her, warms her like fire, and leaves her catching her breath. She locks eyes with him and she can't look away this time.

"I…"

"Do not tell me you are not a princess. To the eyes of any man you love, you should be." He whispers.

"Not to him…" Her voice trails off. Who? Who is him?

"To the man you spoke of? To Sesshomaru?"

That was his name…and yet, why didn't it seem familiar to her?

"Yes…" She answers sadly. That she could remember. He had held her and kissed her, sure, but did that mean anything? He never spoke to her gently or told her she was beautiful.

"But he should have." He says, reading her thoughts. "That was his mistake. Can you honestly tell yourself that he loves you? Or does he just desire you?"

Lee can't remember anytime of him showing her truly that he loved her. He had protected her and stuff, but does that mean he loved her or even cared about her?

"You shouldn't be asking yourself these things, Lee." He says her name like a prayer, it makes her knees weak. "You shouldn't have to second guess anything. You should be sure of who you love. You deserve love that is true, that is strong."

'_He's right...I shouldn't be worried about whether he loves me. I should __**know**__ he loves me, but I don't. I'm not sure._' Lee thinks, her eyes falling to his chest; his kimono isn't pulled tight around his neck so the top of his chest is left bare to my eyes.

"You should never be unsure, Lee." His hand wraps around the back of her waist softly, barely even a touch, and her knees really begin to shake then. His hold brings her up against him and he holds up her weight easily as if she weighs nothing.

His other free hand brushes up her bare arm and shoulder, trailing up her neck, and lifts her chin. The trail his fingers leave behind is cold, but it burns her intensely.

"Let me love you." He whispers, his cold breath hitting her face. She can practically taste it.

"You don't know me." She answers weakly.

"But I can." He brings his lips an inch from hers. "Let me taste your aura. Let me know you..." Finally, his lips touch hers, the lightest of touches, brushing against hers as if he's asking her permission.

Her breath shakes, trembling, and a shiver runs down her body. She doesn't want to be cold anymore. She needs fire, she wants fire.

Closing her eyes, she leans deeper into his cold, hard body, letting him have her.

His lips answer instantly, a soft gasp leaving him, and he kisses her.

A fire, bright and hot, explodes within her and fills her up, burning her alive...and she just lets it.

* * *

Kagome runs, being careful not to let the squishy ground have the time to grab her ankles. It's like being in a stomach; it had swallowed Koga who had come in here with her.

Now she's running for her life, Shippo barely hanging onto her shoulder.

"Hang on, Shippo." She breathes heavily.

"I'm trying!" He cries.

Suddenly, the ground opens up and Kagome skids to a stop. "AGH!"

The tunnel ends and opens up to reveal a huge, round, cylinder shaped room that both the ceiling and floor disappear into shadows. The room is made of the same squishy insides as the tunnel she stands in. It's really disgusting, but not as disgusting as the snake-like thing that comes coiling from the darkness below. It's, as usual, made of the same squishiness as everything else. Wrapped inside those coils is Inuyasha, eyes closed and unconscious.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome gasps.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo copies.

The white haired half-demon doesn't respond. His body remains motionless, unmoving.

"He can't hear me." Kagome whispers.

"Kagome!"

She looks up and spots Sango and Miroku flying towards her on Kirara's back.

"Inuyasha's in trouble." Kagome points towards the boy in question.

Sango lifts her weapon and hurls it at the coils holding Inuyasha, but the squishy substance just bounces the weapon right back.

"Let me try." Miroku unwraps his hand and releases his wind tunnel, using it to try and pull Inuyasha out. This doesn't work either.

He recovers his palm. "Nothing is working. We may have to pull him out by hand."

A dark laughter answers them from high above and they all turn to look up. Up in the darkness, a face appears.

"Naraku!" Kagome gasps.

"Naraku!" Miroku growls.

The face laughs. "Yes. It has been awhile since we last met. Sadly, you're too late to interfere. My body is almost complete and I will soon have the most powerful aura under my control."

"What is he talking about?" Kagome asks.

"Kagome, look." Shippo leans over her shoulder and points down below.

There, just below Inuyasha's entrapment, Lee stands on thin air in the arms of a tall, gorgeous man.

'Is that...Sesshomaru?' Kagome thinks. 'No, it can't be. His hair isn't down like Sesshomaru's. Then who is he?'

"Gensoumaru, finish your job." Naraku calls down to the man holding Lee tightly.

Kagome stares down at Lee. The girl's once bright blue-green eyes are dull, flat, and dark.

Gensoumaru pulls away from his deep kiss with Lee. "But, master, I cannot. If I draw her aura out too fast, she will break. Her body will not be any use to us."

Kagome jerks back when she hears his voice. It's as solid and smooth as glass, but there's got to be a chip in it somewhere. Her eyes narrow in thought.

"Lee! Lee, can you hear me?" She calls to her friend below her.

Lee doesn't respond. She continues to press against him, allowing him to hold her up and wrap her in his arms. The chains wrapping around his right arm and shoulder is swirling around them like a floating snake in the air.

"This isn't working." Kagome pulls out her bow and arrow and shoots one at Gensoumaru's back. "Hit the mark!" She yells after the arrow.

A bright glowing light surrounds the sacred arrow as it flies.

Gensoumaru glances sideways out of his eye as he kisses Lee and a flash crosses his stone cold gaze. The arrow hits the chains around them and bounces off it as if it rebounds off some kind of shield.

"What the-?"

"It didn't hit." Shippo gasps.

Kagome tries again, putting more power behind the shot, but once more the arrow bounces off some kind of invisible barrier with a loud clang. Her face drops.

Suddenly Kagome is caught up in a long slimy vine arm and Sango and Miroku are thrown off Kirara's back and trapped against the squishy walls. Kirara herself is wrapped up in the coils of a squishy arm just like Kagome.

"Kagome!"

Looking down when she hears the shout, Kagome spots Inuyasha, who has regained consciousness and is now fighting to release himself.

"Try as you may, Inuyasha, none of you will escape. You will all become a part of my new body just like this mountain. Gensoumaru, hurry and finish now." Naraku calls down.

Kagome turns back to Lee. The girl is still in a trance like state. Her battle armor and weapon shine dimly in what little light there is in here, but she doesn't reach for it.

"Lee! Lee, come on, wake up! It's an illusion! He's not real!" Kagome screams at her.

Inuyasha looks from Kagome down at Lee in shock.

"Quite the opposite, Kagome. Gensoumaru was made from my flesh and therefore follows my command." Naraku laughs deeply.

"Another incarnation?" Miroku gasps.

"Precisely, monk, only he is perfection. He has complete control over ice and he's able to make illusions so strong that even a weak mind like hers would believe, but those are only his simple tasks." Naraku answers him.

"Lee isn't weak!" Kagome growls at him.

"What do you mean by 'simple tasks'?" Sango asks.

"His true power, as an Aura Demon, allows him to sense, find, and take auras." Naraku laughs, the darkness of it making them all jerk. "And once hers is in my possession, I will be untouchable."

Kagome gasps. "Lee!"

* * *

Lee gasps again when he finally releases her from the kiss. She's more than a little breathless. He continues to hold her against him, gently. His hand holds her by the arm and around the back of her waist.

"Why am I weak all of a sudden?"

"Do you speak of physically or emotionally?" He asks in a whisper so light she starts to believe that he too is breathless.

"Both."

"Physically because I am absorbing your aura, emotionally because…I have finally shown you what true love can be like." He tells her.

Something in Lee's mind is about to shut off and give into him completely when her ears perk up. Did someone say her name? It must have been him. He's talking so quietly that it could be whisper.

"I need more."

"Of my aura?" She sighs weakly.

"And your love." He presses his lips to hers again and that fire explodes once more. She wants so badly to wrap her arms around him, but she can't move.

'_Why?...I know I'm physically going to be weak, but I should still be able to move…even a little._' She tries, through the blurriness that is her mind, to tell her arms to move, but they don't respond. They continue to lay stiff and motionless at her sides.

Somewhere deep inside her, like a warm energy flowing out, she can feel his power filling her and then drawing out of her, taking her aura. For some reason she wonders if it really takes this long to remove a piece of aura, like he had said he would, but then his fingers release her arm and travel up her skin, leaving behind that blazing cold fire of a trail. Shivers erupt across her.

Something presses against her thoughts, her mind, and she jerks. 'Let me know you…' His voice comes, echoing inside of her. She relaxes instantly. It's just him, so why should I fight him.

'I…'

'_What?_' She asks him in her thoughts loving the feel of his mind next to hers.

'I…love you.'

This shocks her. Really.

Again her ears pick up something. "Lee!"

'_Huh?_' Her eyes open a bit, lazily.

"Lee! Wake up!"

'_Go away mom…_'

'Ignore them…you are safe here with me.' He cuts off the voices.

'_Yes._' She responds, completely lost in him.

"Lee!"

Wait, he had said…them. Why had he called her mom 'them'? Out of nowhere, like a bus hitting her and all the pain that comes with it, her memories flood back into her mind, filling out the groggy mess that it is. Inuyasha! Kagome! Sango! Miroku! Shippo!

More memories come then, ones that felt like they had been gone forever. A small child smiling up at her, holding up a blue flower.

"_Miss Lee! Look!"_

"_That's pretty. What is it?" Lee asks._

"_I don't know, but it's pretty right?"_

"_Yeah." Lee smiles._

Rin! Her little sister!

"_Would you like me to dispose of her, my Lord?"_

"_Excuse me?" Lee snaps at the imp._

"_Hold your tongue, you!" He raises the creepy staff at her again._

"_Back off, ya toad!" She knocks the staff away with a whack of her hand and the imp falls over._

Jaken!

"_Thank you." She whispers, knowing he'll hear her._

_His deep golden eyes open and lock on her face._

"_For carrying me here, thank you. I probably would've died if you hadn't acted when you did." She explains._

_He doesn't answer her. His eyes just continue to look into hers. She finally looks away. She can't stand looking into those eyes. They're too sharp. Or are they intense?_

"_You would've been fine. You're strong enough apparently for even a wound like that." He says simply. His eyes close again and he goes silent for good._

_Lee closes her eyes and sighs._

"_I'm not strong at all." She mumbles to herself._

"Se-."

"That is not my name." He cuts her off around their kiss.

"What?"

"My name." His kiss changes, becoming possessive. "My name is Gensoumaru." His hands, strong and big, lift her up off the smooth, cold floor, pressing her body harder against him. He part her lips and traces her top lip, effectively chasing the name out of her memory; his name.

'_No..._' She mentally reaches after it, but his mind crushes down on hers heavily. She moans.

"Say my name." He answers her gasp with his own. "Say it." He urges against her mouth.

Lee tries to pull her memories back; a vision of long silver hair flashes across her mind.

'Yes, say my name.' His silk voice threads into her mind like a caress, soft and urgent.

Lee calls harder to her memories; black armor shines in the sunlight.

'Say it!' His mind gets heavier on hers. His fingers thread into her hair.

Deep inside her, her fire lights back up brighter than ever, filling her up and driving out the darkness that has nearly taken her body. Her memories come back to her then. Deep golden eyes stare back at her, strong and powerful.

'NO!'

He pushes away from her and she does the same, tearing herself free of his cold grasp.

She blinks a couple of times to clear her vision and she watches as the room around her melts away into a mist and disappears.

She finds herself, dressed still in her kimono and battle armor, floating in mid-air above a bottomless pit of darkness and in a squishy cylinder-like room that reminds her too much of a stomach. The thought makes her a little queasy.

He floats across from her, glowing a little with a white glow, but it quickly turns a faded purplish-black and melts into his body.

Lee lifts her hands and watches as that same white light glows around her own body for a moment before seeping back into her. She's not quite a hundred-percent; she can feel it.

"Lee!" She can hear Kagome scream at her from above, but she doesn't take her gaze off of him, from Gensoumaru.

He gazes back, his face hard and tight.

"You." Lee starts. "You tried to make me forget." Her voice gets stronger with each word.

He doesn't answer, but she can tell that he's holding back words. Lee narrows her eyes; she's going to get those words out.

"You suppressed my memories of my friends, of my family, of-."

"Of Sesshomaru?" He cuts her off. "You really think he loves you?"

Lee rolls her eyes.

"Of course he doesn't."

"And you do?" She lowers her voice.

His gaze glances up in a flash before he looks back at her. She catches the movement and looks up at the scene above her.

Kagome and Shippo are trapped in the coils of a long slimy arm. Inuyasha is pretty much in the same predicament only his entrapment is reaching up out of the darkness below her. Sango and Miroku are pinned against the squishy weird walls by another one of those vine-like arms while Kirara is wrapped up in the coils of another just like Kagome.

She's about to go help them, but she freezes. She's still floating in mid-air and she knows that it's Gensoumaru's magic. Lee glances at him. His eyes, still those silvery-blue, are glassy now, almost wet. Is he crying? Her head tilts to the side in confusion.

"Gensoumaru, why do you hesitate? You got a piece of her aura now bring it to me." Naraku calls down from the shadows above.

"I…don't have enough…master." He answers, closing his eyes and lowering his head.

"But you do have some. Bring it to me and drop her where she stands." His dark, silky voice jolts Lee with recognition. Gensoumaru sounds just like Naraku only his voice isn't as deep!

Gensoumaru opens his eyes and their gazes lock once again. Lee reaches for her weapon, still attached to the armor hook on her shoulder, and readies herself for the fall. Strangely enough, it doesn't come.

He continues to stare at her with a longing look in her eyes.

'If I didn't love you, why are you not dead at the bottom of this pit?' His voice rings clear in her mind, but it's distant, once again an echo like it had been back in the tunnels.

Her face drops in shock.

Suddenly, with a wave of his hand, she's thrown back with an unseen force and slammed into the squishy wall behind her.

She reaches out and starts grabbing for something, anything. Her fingers find nothing.

"Lee!" Kagome cries.

"Damn you, Naraku!" Inuyasha, with a great burst of strength, bursts through the coils around him and he falls down into the darkness after Lee who has been swallowed by it.

"Inuyasha!"

Naraku laughs. "They'll both be digested by the poisonous acid at the bottom of this pit. They shall be the first ones I absorb. Gensoumaru, bring the aura here."

Kagome, watches helplessly as Gensoumaru floats up to his master and pulls out a glowing orb from his chest, presenting it to Naraku.

"Ah, it's strength! I can feel it just from looking at it. Give it to me, Gensoumaru."

He passes the orb over to him and it's about to touch Naraku's forehead when-

"BURN!"

Something out of the shadows from below them all comes flying out at them at amazing speed. It spins like a disk, totally a blur, surrounded by fire of enormous heat and power.

"What?" Naraku's concentration breaks as he spots the object and the orb drops through the air and down past everyone. "No!"

Bursting out of the shadows, Inuyasha and Lee come flying up incredibly fast and Lee's body hits the orb head-on. It explodes around her, bright as the sun and turning red as it seeps into her body.

Inuyasha dodges the blast of heat that explodes from her a second later and leaps off the wall nearest to him, launching himself at the vine arm holding Kagome. As he does, he pulls out his sheath and calls out. From nearby, his sword rips out of the fleshy wall and rushing at its owner. Inuyasha grabs the hilt and it transforms into its true form. Using the blade, he slashes through it and he grabs her. Together, they land on the ledge she had been on before.

"Lee." Kagome and Inuyasha look up at the same time at the bright fiery energy swirling around her.

Sighing, Lee opens her eyes with a grin. Now she's a hundred percent.

She holds out her hand, catching her weapon that returns to her, and flips backwards until she lands on the wall behind her, digging her claws into the fleshy substance with one hand so that she doesn't fall.

"Time to end this, Naraku." Inuyasha calls after making sure that Lee was safe.

"You're time is up." Lee adds, feeling like one of those super hero's from the movies. Her grin widens when she tries to envision herself wearing a cape. She shakes her head; that isn't going to happen.

"You think that just because I don't have her aura that you can still defeat me. I have been hiding in this mountain obtaining my strength and power in waves until this moment arrived. I am still far beyond your reach." Naraku finishes his little speech and then suddenly the fleshiness around his face starts to squirm and tremble. From inside him, through the darkness, about nine small purple lights begins to shine brightly. Slowly, those nine lights begin to converge together until they finally form one light. It gets brighter and brighter until everyone has to look away from it. Naraku's laughter is the only thing that comes through the bright light.

Lee closes her eyes, worried that the light may harm her eyes. In a blast of raw energy, the flesh explodes and Naraku emerges.

He wears different shades of blue for his clothes, but the rest of him is pretty much covered in bone armor and spikes that extend from his back like claws and then long vine-like arms that trail out behind him. The really disturbing thing is the red jewel in the center on the bone plate armor on his chest. It moves like it's an eye.

'_It __**is**__ an eye!_' Lee thinks, covering her mouth. Even though it's totally cool, it's so disgusting on so many more level.

"My new body doesn't please you, Lee?" Naraku asks with that silken voice of pure evil. "I figured one of power such as yourself would desire a form of power such as the one I have."

"Dream on. I'm not twisting my power like you have, so don't even try to make me out to look like something I'm not." Lee snaps, ignoring her queasy stomach.

Naraku chuckles. The sound makes her stomach twist even more. "You will rethink that statement soon enough. Once you see real power, you will want it more than you know."

"Nope." Lee waves his words off. "No thanks. I'm happy as I am."

He smiles wickedly. "You say so now."

His words confuse her. His eyes are too arrogant, like he knows something she doesn't.

"Enough talking, die!" Inuyasha jumps up and swings his sword. "Wind Scar!"

Naraku holds up his hand, a long spear stretching out of his fore arm, and he slashes it forwards when the Wind Scar comes within distance. He slices the power apart and it tears out around the room in dozens on parts.

"What?" Inuyasha dodges one of the wind scar fragments and then another one.

Lee gasps and leaps off the wall just as a piece of the Wind Scar crashes off the wall where she was. "What the heck Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha is too busy going after Kagome. During the Wind Scar attack, two pieces of the attack cut through the vine arm and now she and Shippo are falling through the air down towards the darkness.

"Oh, crap!" Lee gasps. She rebounds off the wall and jumps after them too. She grabs onto Shippo when Kagome is jerked out of the air by Inuyasha and he slips out of her arms. He grips onto her neck, freeing her arms so that she can land onto the squishy area protruding from the wall. Inuyasha has Kagome behind him against the wall with his sword held up as a shield in front of them.

Lee curls Shippo close to her chest and ducks down close to the wall to avoid the Wind Scar as it comes around again.

"What's going on?" Lee yells.

"I don't know, my Wind Scar won't subside!" Inuyasha answers. Again the Wind Scar piece smashes into their small ledge and it trembles from the impact.

Lee glares up at Naraku who laughs darkly. "Inuyasha, how ironic it is that your very own Wind Scar is what will kill all the people you care about. Now that you Wind Scar is caught up in my demonic aura, it will continue to spiral throughout the room until you're all dead."

Lee growls out. "Naraku, you're insane if you think this is going to work. We're going to kill you!"

He chuckles in response.

A flash catches Lee's eye and she looks down a bit. Something is swirling at Naraku's feet, near the bottom of his barrier.

"Kagome!" Lee calls.

"Yeah?"

"Did you see that? At Naraku's feet."

Kagome looks up over Inuyasha's shoulder and up at Naraku. Her eyes narrow in concentration. "You're right!" She gasps. "Wait, since when can you see jewel shards?"

"I can't." Lee answers. "For some reason though, I can sense dark auras. Sort of what Gensoumaru could do, only I can only see evil ones."

"Gotcha. Inuyasha, go after Naraku."

"What?" He asks her as if she's gone nuts. "What about you?"

"I'm going with you. I have a feeling those two jewel shards at Naraku's feet are Koga's jewel shards."

"He's a demon right? Then Naraku may try to absorb him." Lee adds.

"Hah. If he's not dead already." Inuyasha laughs.

Kagome grabs onto his shoulder and he lifts her onto his back. They leap off the ledge and take off after Naraku, dodging pieces of the Wind Scar that come flashing by.

With Lee left to watch after Shippo, she can only watch after them from the ledge.

Kagome draws her bow from Inuyasha's back and fires it.

The sacred arrow cuts through the pieces of Wind Scar fragments and heads straight at Naraku. It hits and explodes in a bright purple light.

From the bottom of Naraku's barrier a slimy black orb falls out, but Lee can see something inside it.

"It's Koga!" Shippo cries from her arms.

'_So he was trying to absorb him._' Lee thinks. Getting to her feet, Lee takes this chance to move. "Hang on." She tells Shippo.

He tightens his grip on her kimono and she leaps off of the ledge, rebounding left and right off the wall, heading up towards the mountain top.

"You waste your time saving your comrades?" Naraku calls down to them. "If you want to save them so badly…" He lifts his hand and suddenly the room begins to shake. Pieces break away from the walls around them and they cause Lee to have to dodge them as she climbs. She finally stops on the first ledge she can find to wait it out. She looks around for Inuyasha. He and Kagome are using the falling pieces to travel farther down into the room. Sango and Miroku are backing away from the pieces that fall and start to spurt out acid smoke.

"It's a miasma!" Miroku yells, covering his face with his kimono sleeve.

"Then you can all sleep together with this as your grave!" Naraku finishes his sentence.

He floats higher to the top, where the sky appears above them, and Inuyasha and Kagome keep going down farther.

'_What should I do? Go up or down?_' Lee thinks.

"Lee!"

Miroku and Sango approach them on Kirara's back.

"Lee, we need you to take Shippo and get out of here."

"Are you sure?"

"We need someone to go after Naraku." Sango tells her.

"What?" Shippo begins to shake uncontrollably in her arms and she rubs his head gently to calm him down. "But I'm not strong at all! How can I go after Naraku with Lee? I'll just get in the way! How about I go with you guys?"

"Are you sure, Shippo?" Sango asks.

"He's right." Lee tells her. "I don't want him to get hurt if I do have to fight him. He'd safer going with you."

She hands him to Sango who takes him and allows him to climb onto her shoulder. "Be careful, Lee. He's stronger now."

"I understand. I was trained for this. I'll be alright." Lee nods.

"Still he's a lot stronger than we thought he would be. Just be sure to be on your guard; defense first, offense second." Sango tells her.

"Got it. Shippo, be good." Lee smiles.

"I will. You be careful too."

She nods and takes off, leaping up the falling pieces as they come down, using them as stepping stones to get up to the opening in the mountain.

Light hits her eyes. '_And there's the exit!_'

With one last push off, she leaps out into fresh air and lands on the nearest ledge, but she's not able to stay long. The ground trembles under her feet and she gasps.

"Crap! What luck!" She leaps up again and takes down the hill, bouncing off the rocks, she heads farther down towards the forest. "This won't end well. I hope those guys get out alright." She says to herself.

"Lee!"

Turning back forward, Lee spots Moriko coming towards her, skipping across the rocks as well. She stops for only a fraction of a second to let Lee meet her half way and then she follows her back down.

"You won't believe this! Some creepy guy surrounded by a red barrier came flying across the sky right after the mountain started to break apart. Where were you? What happened in there?" She starts blabbing away.

"Mori, first off, the guy in the floating barrier is Naraku, so why are you even coming after me when you should be going after him. Two, he was hiding in the mountain to regain his strength and build himself a new body and three, I wasn't doing anything except trying to kill him." Lee answers her.

'_And I nearly fell into the trap of one of his minions._' Lee finishes the thought silently.

They finally hit level ground and then take off just as rocks hit the ground where they had landed. They crash and roll over each other.

"So that was Naraku? I got a really sick feeling when I saw him. Also, don't be biting my head off for not going after him. I sent Ryu to follow him since I wasn't sure." Moriko growls.

"Oh," Lee chuckles, "Well, then, nice job."

They carry on through the trees, zigzagging back and forth. They leap across the river as if it's a simple crack in the ground.

"So where are we headed?" Mori asks after a long moment.

Lee rolls her eyes. "Do you really have to ask? We can't let Ryu follow Naraku forever can we, that's why we're going to relieve him his duty." She grins slyly.

Moriko laughs as they continue racing forward, picking up speed.

The trees end as they approach the large canyon that Lee had crossed before on that rickety old bridge. It's spilling out something dark; Lee can see it from even this far away.

'_Something isn't right. I'm getting a bad feeling._' Lee thinks, her eyes narrowing at the sight.

"Lee, look ahead." Moriko points ahead of them. Looking up, they both spot Ryu's dragon form is circling the sky just up ahead.

"They must be up ahead. Let's hurry."

* * *

_Hope y'all liked it and I'm sorry about the author's notes being so short._

_I've got nothing much to say about this chapter where nothing really happens._

_Alright, this is the new character, Gensoumaru. I chose the name for two reasons: one, the word "gensou" means illusions I believe and "maru" is a suffix used for guy names to make them more masculine, and two, just because no one sent me any ideas for a name so I had to think of one all on my lonesome!_

_Anyhoo, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and review!_


	24. Chapter 24

_Yes! Finally, I get to cause torture to Naraku! But he's not the only one!_

_In this chapter, Lee reveals her dark side, Sesshomaru deals with being tamed, Moriko gets to kick some demon butt, and…Inuyasha gets a new brother? (You'll see in the next chapter how that one plays out.)_

_Wow, that's a lot!_

_I hope y'all were hoping for a long chapter cause I wrote one and I'm totally proud of it!_

_(By the way, I decided to go with the name Gensoumaru for the new guy that looks like Sesshomaru. I know he sorta reminds you of Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's dad, but I swear he looks nothing like him in my head. I'm wondering if I should draw some art and post it as my profile picture…Hmmm…)_

_Lee: Whoa, two updates in a day...where were these two weeks ago?_

_Shut up! I'm trying here! You try going to college full time and working on two fan fictions!_

_Lee: I fight demons all day, search for Naraku, and juggle Sesshomaru. That schedule looks tame compared to mine._

…_I hate you._

_Lee: Then you shouldn't have created me. (Evil grin)_

_Read and enjoy! (And yes, reviews are welcomed)_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 24-

Lee skids to a stop suddenly along with Moriko. Naraku retracts his long mutated hand out of a woman's shoulder and she falls off the edge of the ledge, disappearing into the canyon below. The two girls gasp in horror.

He just killed her! Who was she?

"Lee!" Moriko hisses.

"What?" She hisses back.

"Looooook!"

Lee turns her eyes ever so slightly and she widens them in surprise. As Naraku faces the canyon, Sesshomaru is walking up behind him with Jaken at his side. Where is Rin?

Something is said from Sesshomaru and Naraku turns around.

"Come on." Not waiting for a response, Lee takes off towards them with Moriko hot on her heels. "Naraku!" Lee screams.

He turns cold red ears at her. He's angry; really angry.

Not wasting anytime, Moriko and Lee turn up the battle mood and take formation. It's time to get serious.

Moriko steps up her pace so that she comes up a few paces directly behind Lee, but not far enough to where she can't see Naraku if he decides to attack. Lee takes one last step before launching herself up and taking to the air. She gathers her energy into her raised palms as if she's grasping the sun itself, high above her, and the fire explodes, filling her hands with red hot power. Landing hard on the ground, she slams the power forward so that is tears out across the ground at Naraku at a speed she knows he won't be able to avoid. Naraku's eyes widen a little, measuring the attack.

"Moriko!"

"Go! I got you!" Moriko answers. She leaps up a second later and slams one foot into the ground and it quakes under her action, ripping and shredding up into pieces, getting taller as they go like steps.

It lifts under Lee's feet as she runs until she's high in the air. Once there, Lee jumps off and goes higher. She unclips her weapon again from the line and pulls her hand back. It begins to spin until it's at the highest speed and then she engulfs it in her fire. Content with its power, she hurls it with all her strength. The fire hot, spinning blades, zoom at Naraku.

"The same attacks over and over again. Can you not give me something else?"

"It ain't over yet!" Lee snaps. The spinning blades collide with his barrier at the same moment her first attack, the blast of fire energy, hits and smoke, rocks, and fire explode.

Far before this all happened, Sesshomaru had leapt back out of the way. He now stands at a safe distance, watching the battle. His eyes remain on Lee. Her power is beyond what he thought; what he imagined. It surprises him.

She's not what she seems.

"_I'm kind of stuck between a half and a full. I don't…really know what I am._"

Lee's voice echoes in his mind.

What did that mean? Is it even possible for one to be in the middle?

"Moriko, move!" Lee yells.

"I will now return all your pathetic attempts to kill me back at you." Naraku's shield begins to glow and fire and earth come blasting out in a column of power. Lee pushes Mori out of the way and flips back in the opposite direction, barely escaping the blast.

"Dang you!"

"Mori, no!" Lee screams.

Moriko races at Naraku the second she lands. She drags her right hand along the ground, tearing her claws into the earth which builds up around her arm until it forms a kind of hardened glove around her limb.

When she's about five feet away from him, she leaps up and pulls her arm back, ready to hit him with her raw strength.

Naraku smiles and out of his back, one of those vine arms extends and, with lightning fast speed, it wraps around her wrist and tightens, breaking the rocks off her arm as if they're the thinnest glass and then tosses her away from him like a rag doll. Moriko doesn't allow herself to hit the ground though, she flips back using her arms and legs and lands firmly on her feet.

"Hmm. I see Kiyoshi has taught you both well. You really are from the village of perfect fighters, as they say. It's too bad she didn't teach you about how to kill me before she was destroyed." Naraku chuckles calmly.

Lee and Moriko jerk.

"W-what'd you say?" Mori asks through her shaky voice.

Naraku shifts his gaze to the smaller girl and grins darkly. "Yes, she may as well be dead; she's close enough to it. Her body has been beaten down until she can't even move. She has pulled herself deep into the void of her mind, making herself useless to me at the moment, but once I find out how to revive her, she'll be mine to control…just like you will be soon, Lee." He turns his last statement directly at Lee then.

"I'll never join you." She growls through her teeth.

"Even if it means saving your precious teacher?" Naraku asks.

Jaken, at the feet of his master, watches the battle closely. "Lord Sesshomaru, is this…Lee…our Lee?"

Sesshomaru doesn't answer. He hadn't yet told Rin and Jaken about Lee's return. He didn't think it was the right time. But the way Jaken had said _our Lee_ was making his stomach act funny. It made his mind spin.

"My Lord?" Jaken finally turns to look up at the great demon.

'Why does her not answer?' The small demon wonders. 'If this demon girl is Lee then why does he not join the battle against Naraku?'

A great crash pulls his attention back to the battle.

Lee and Moriko are thrown away from Naraku again and they land easily on their feet.

"Naraku!"

Lee spins around to look over her shoulder. Inuyasha is running towards them.

"Crap, Moriko, we need to end this now." Lee whispers.

"How? It's impossible to touch him or even get near him." Moriko responds, breathing a little heavier. "How can we finish this if we can't even land an attack?"

"The barrier is all that he has going for him. If we can crack that, then we're home free."

"And that's the problem. That barrier absorbs all we throw at it and then sends it all back with double the power. I can barely avoid my own attacks so you know it's even harder when those attacks are doubled." Moriko rolls her eyes.

"Well I don't see you tryin' to back me up. If we can put our attacks together then it may be enough."

"Lee. You threw two of your own attacks at him and both of them were stronger than mine. Nothing works! There's got to be something else."

"I'm glad to hear you're so positive about all this." Lee growls.

"I'm just trying to be realistic." She shrugs.

"Well, stop it." Lee puts her hands on her hips. "Besides, we still got one more thing that I don't think Naraku has noticed yet."

"What?"

Lee uses her eyes, so that Naraku won't catch on, to motion up towards the sky. Moriko looks up too, being careful not to be too noticeable.

A long blue and white dragon circles high in the sky above them.

Lee and Moriko grin at each other.

"Shall we then?"

"Oh, yes, let's!" Moriko grabs her hand and race at Naraku.

"Planned something new for me, have you?" He rises up into the air a bit in anticipation. "Then send it forward. I shall return it to you tenfold."

"Tenfold? He can do that?" Moriko asks, her voice getting close to panic.

"Don't think about it!" Lee snaps. "Ryu!"

Her voice carries high above and the dragon switches directions, faces itself down. Being a dragon, he has one single attack that was learned when he first changed.

He takes a breath and breathes out a column of bright blue fire down towards the ground. Moriko stops suddenly, slams her foot at the ground, cleaving a large boulder from the ground, and then kicks it forward. Lee spins around, takes a breath, and then breathes out all the fire she could store inside her gut on the run. All three attacks merge into one and spiral around his shield for the longest time, bright colors of reds and blues, while small spiky rocks spin with the movement, and then they all collapse towards the center with a bang.

Smoke fills the air.

"Yeah!"

"Got him." Lee smiles to herself.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken gasps up at his master.

"Well, time to go find Kiyoshi now right?" Mori grabs Lee's arm and bounces in her place excitedly.

Lee can't help but smile and shake her head.

Right when they start to walk away, something slams into Lee's gut, practically telling her it wasn't over just yet.

She spins back around on her toe to face the smoke. All is quiet, nothing moves, nothing breathes. Moriko's laughter and giggles are suddenly far away from her ears. All happiness is gone from her face; it's tight now and completely serious.

Sesshomaru catches this change in her body and returns his gaze to the smoke as well.

A dark chuckle arises.

'_Oh, no._' Lee's eyes widen in horror. '_There's no way he survived that._'

In a strong gale created from who knows where, the smoke dissipates and there stands Naraku, inside his barrier without a scratch on him. Around the edges of his form she can see that he's pulling himself back together.

"I will never die." He chuckles.

A bright light, created from all three of their previous attacks, begins to swirl in front of him.

"Moriko! Move!" Lee spins on her heel and races backwards reaching for her friend's shoulder. When she grabs it, he releases the attack. Throwing Moriko to the side, Lee rolls, but not quick enough. The blast engulfs her body.

"LEE!" Moriko screams.

* * *

The blast subsides, leaving a deep trench behind in its wake. From the corner of her eyes, she can see Inuyasha, Lee's friend, stop and freeze. Moriko stares in horror at the trench from where she lies on the ground. Lee had grabbed her shoulder and pushed her out of the way, but she herself couldn't escape the attack in time. She can't move. Her arms are shaking too badly.

"Seems like even that can't kill you. Kiyoshi really has taught you well." Naraku starts to laugh again as if he's amused.

Something moves from inside the deep trench and the smoke finally clears. Lee is standing there, barely held up by her legs, covered in scratches and tears in her clothes. Her weapon in held up in front of her by some magic and it glows a bright red, creating a small circle shield in front of her.

'Since when did she learn how to do that?' Moriko thinks to herself, but a smile of relief forms of her face and a small tear joins it.

Lee breaths heavily from where she stands and her legs shake terribly.

"Pathetic. You can barely stand." Naraku extends one of those vine-for-arms and it shoots at Lee's feet like a bullet. She tries to jump away, but her speed has been decreased extremely. It curls around her ankle and pulls her into the air. With a spin, she's tossed to the side like a weed and she hits the ground hard, skidding farther and farther away.

She finally comes to a rest about ten feet from Sesshomaru.

Moriko is at her side in a second. "Lee? Lee!"

"Shut up, I'm fine." She climbs steadily to her hands and knees, wiping her mouth clean as she glares at their opponent. "Get out of here." She growls from behind her hand.

"No way! I'm not going to leave you here by yourself to take him on."

"Just do it. I'll buy you some time." Lee stands to her feet, refusing to take her eyes off of Naraku. With a deep breath, Moriko can see the energy increase in her body before she takes off again to attack him, picking up her weapon from the ground as she goes.

Moriko's anger sky rockets and she turns on Sesshomaru. "Why are you just standing there? Help her! You should be helping her! She can't do this on her own!" Her anger builds up until the ground beneath her begins to rumble and split apart, cracking around her.

Jaken backs away, yelping a bit as his back presses against Sesshomaru's leg. "Shut up, child! My Lord doesn't help anyone unless he wants too!"

"Jaken back away." Sesshomaru cuts him off.

"You talk as if you have no feelings! I don't see what Lee sees in you, but whatever it is you're lying to her about it! You don't have a heart to give! You don't deserve her!" Moriko continues to roar.

Sesshomaru glances at the girl, her growing power level amusing him, and then he glances back at Lee. She attacks him head on over and over again, but Naraku, using that bone armor, keeps deflecting her weapon away.

"I don't think anyone can beat him right now. It's useless to try." Sesshomaru finally answers her.

"Useless?" Moriko's temper dies away a little. "You say that because you have nothing to fight for. She's fighting for her family who died because of than man. What are you fighting for?"

Sesshomaru is caught off guard by her question. What is he fighting for? Naraku had tried to kill him. He is fighting to be rid of the man. What else is there?

His eyes lower to the ground.

'What do I have to fight for?' A vision of Rin flashes across his mind, then Jaken follows behind it, and then finally…a vision of Lee as she looked when she was human. Soon after though, the last vision is taken over by another: one of the Lee in front of him now.

A cry echoes around them and Sesshomaru, Moriko, and Jaken all look up, their eyes widening.

Naraku has Lee by the wrist raising her high into the air. Her head is held down and her eye are closed tightly shut in pain. The vine around her wrist squeezes again and her clawed hand grabs it, trying to rip it away, as she screams.

"Naraku! Put her down!" Inuyasha draws his sword.

Sesshomaru takes a step forward, drawing his own.

"Make a move and she dies." Naraku's hand mutates again, forming a long blade, and he presses the tip at the base of Lee's neck.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both halt their attacks instantly.

Naraku laughs. "How easy it is to manipulate people who have such weak hearts. You, Sesshomaru, surprise me most of all. When Kagura told me you had another human with you, I didn't think it was true, but now I see that it is."

Sesshomaru narrows his eyes.

"Ah, did I hit a nerve? Am I right? Has this…girl…formed a heart inside the great dog demon lord?" Naraku says 'girl' as if he's speaking of a disease.

"Let her go! Leave her alone!" Moriko is about to rush at him, but Sesshomaru's sword blade blocks her path.

"Don't move or he will kill her." He says in hard voice that settles her anger quickly. She looks up at him. His face is hard, deadly, and straight up furious. The sight makes her blood run cold.

"Damn you, Naraku!" Inuyasha growls.

"Inuyasha, don't tell me you have fallen for yet another woman." Naraku smiles.

"She's my sister!" Inuyasha corrects him.

"I see, well, you're going to need your sister's and Kagome's comfort then to get over her death."

"What?"

"You've already forgotten her? How heartless." Naraku glances behind him and Inuyasha follows his gaze.

A broken bow lies lifeless on the ground near the ledge. Inuyasha's eyes go wide in horror.

Naraku looks back at his prisoner. Lee has her palm out reached and it glows bright reed with fire.

"You're going to attack me? In your weakened state? It will be like lighting a fire against me. The strength behind it won't give me much of an attack to use on your friends." He smiles.

"Let them go. You have me like you wanted, so let them all go." Lee says weakly.

"You are in no position to give me orders." Naraku tightens the vine around her wrist, making her drop her attack and reach back for her arm with her claws in pain and squeeze her eyes tighter closed.

"No, stop!"

Lee opens here eyes when she hears Moriko scream and horror fills her.

Naraku pulls back his blade-like hand and thrusts it at her.

'_No…_'

The blade pierces through the girl's body like a hot knife through butter, exiting out of her back.

"NOOO!"

Moriko's heart wrenching scream is the last thing she can hear before her ears are filled with a heavy beating; her heart.

Her face goes pale, her eyes enlarge in pain. A dark smile forms on Naraku's face as he withdraws his blade from her body. It reforms back into his normal hand, but her blood still drips from it, dark and red.

The vine arm holding her wrist throws her limp body away as he lifts his bloody hand to his lips, tasting it. "Hmm…the blood of the half-immortal Guardians. Too bad it didn't have the chance to fully awaken."

Lee's body slides all the way to the edge of the ridge right next to the broken bow. Her arm is the only part of her that slips off the edge and hangs down over the river of miasma. It's a sickish purple-green that would've made her stomach churn if only she could feel it. Her eyes are still open wide, unblinking. She stares down at her arm as a single trail of blood glides down it and drips off her finger tips.

Blood? Where does this blood come from? She tries to feel for the source, but her mind doesn't seem to work, her body doesn't seem to move. What's wrong with her? She can't remember.

Naraku. That's right. He killed her.

'_I'm sorry Kiyoshi…_'

"_Lee…_"

'_I'm so sorry._' She answers the voice in her thoughts.

Her body is moved then. Something rocks her. Her body is already starting to go stiff. A voice, she can almost hear it past the thundering beats of her heart, is talking to her; it sounds panicked. Another voice joins it, but it's not the one she wants to hear…

* * *

"Lee? Lee?"

"Is she…?"

"I don't know, I can't tell! She's going stiff!" Moriko cries, trying hard not to cry. A new scent hits her nose. It's Lee's blood. She's smelled it before, but this is different. The hairs on the back of her neck begin to rise.

It changing.

Her eyes go wide in surprise. "Oh, no! Move! Get away from her!"

"What?" Inuyasha stumbles back as the girl jumps up and starts pushing him away. He smells it then, something is growing in Lee's body. It's no longer the smell of a really strong half-demon, but it doesn't smell like a full demon either. It's stronger. It's something else.

Running away, a blast of nothing but raw energy bursts and knocks them to the ground.

Sesshomaru and Naraku halt their battle to defend their eyes against the bright light that seems to come from nowhere.

When the brightness subsides, they all turn to the column of light that falls from the heavens and surrounds Lee's body. Sparks of fire crackle around it form the energy it radiates.

Everyone, even Sesshomaru and Naraku, stare in awe at the sight.

Lee's body shifts.

Everyone jerks in surprise.

"It's impossible. The blood hasn't awakened yet. She should have died from that attack." Naraku growls under his breath, not noticing that Sesshomaru has heard him.

'Awakened?' He thinks.

Again, Lee's body jerks only this time she actually moves. She lifts herself up off the ground, but something is off; Moriko can tell. Lee doesn't move like that, all slow and angry like. She doesn't sound like that either for the record.

A low, animal growl reaches their ears. Lee's claws extend far beyond their normal length and curl as if she's ready to rip open a throat. It's not like her. It's too dark and evil.

She finally stands up, her body tense and defensive. Her mouth opens to let out another growl and Sesshomaru can see the fangs the extend like daggers in her mouth. Something is definitely wrong.

She turns around to face them all, a deep set glare set in her eyes. It's more animalistic than it should be.

"Lee?" Moriko whispers.

The girl's eyes are blood red. The white parts of her eyes are completely black with rage. Her hair is lifting from some sort of energy. Her bangs cast a dark shadow across her face. Her lips are curled back to expose the lethal fangs that have protruded from her top and bottom jaws.

"She's a demon…?" Inuyasha whispers from beside her.

"Keep your voice down or she'll attack you." Mori whispers. "I've seen this once before when our teacher brought it on to help her train, but it's never been this…bad before. She's only been this way once, but I don't think it was enough to help her learn to control it."

"Ya think?" He hisses. "Why are we whispering? Shouldn't we be trying to calm her down?"

"No, if we make a move towards her or away from her, then she'll target us. We only have to wait for her energy to run out."

"What?"

"Our teacher discovered that when she goes into this…form, if you will, it's more powerful because her energy is way higher than normal. But, if she uses that energy, then sure her attacks are going to be strong, but the 'form' will eventually fail and she'll return to normal." Mori explains.

"So it's like a fail-safe?" He asks.

"Yep." The end of her word pops a bit too loud and the sound rings into Lee's ear.

She spins her animal, dark red eyes on them in a flash and they freeze to a halt. She growls lower, facing them, ready to attack.

"Lee, hold on. It's okay. Calm down." Moriko holds out her hands as if she's going to try and stop a bus, palms facing her friend.

Naraku, infuriated by her survival, rises high into the air and extends one of those vines at her.

Lee's dark, enraged, eyes flicker to the side and suddenly she's gone. the sharp tip of the vine crashes into the ground where the girl had been.

'What? Where'd she go? There's no way she could've dodged that.' Naraku grinds his teeth, glancing around.

Claws as sharp as the sharpest blades slice into the shield behind him.

He spins around to face the attack, but there's no one there.

Again, sharp claws attack his shield behind him and he turns around to face it. There's no attacker.

"Come out and fight me." He calls. His vines sharpen their ends and begin to stretch outside the barrier, ready to jab at the first sign of movement.

One of those vines is cut off.

Then another.

Then another.

Naraku glances at each vine as it's cut off until there are none of them left. That's when the attacks pick up like crazy. With nothing to guard the shield, claws click off it's surface left and right at a speed that he can't keep up with.

Then with one last hit, claws blazing red with light slash into the barrier right above his head and Lee flips over the top of it, landing in a crouch close to the ground. Her claws dig into the soft dirt to keep her balance. As she stands up, her raged eyes glance back at the man over her shoulder.

"Is that it?" He chuckles after he finally finds her with his eyes.

An dark grin, so unlike her, curls on her lips.

The glowing barrier cracks.

"Look!" Moriko gasps.

"She broke through the barrier!" Inuyasha adds in shock.

Another series of cracks break around him in different areas, revealing the damage she caused. The cracks spread like wild fire until Naraku finally stretches out his hand and pushes a light out from his palm. The light spreads around the inside of his barrier and the cracks stop suddenly, but they don't disappear.

"You think that you've really done any damage?" Naraku asks, his voice loosing it's patience. "You've only succeeded in wasting your energy." He rises high into the sky again and extends his hand until it forms into a long blade once more. The end of the 'blade' begins to swirl around in a faded purple color and an orb of power is formed. "This ravine will become you're grave!"

He hurls it down at her, but again, Lee moves at a speed that no fully realized demon can see. She reappears in the air, flying towards the attack and she raises her hand. With a single movement, she swats in aside as if it's a small fly.

"What?" Naraku yells. He avoids her attack by lowering back towards the ground but she only grins in response.

She holds her hands up, crossing them at the wrists, above her head and two red balls of fire burst to life around them. She throws them down at the ground where they explode. A large column of fire heaves Naraku and his barrier high into the air and with one last movement, she tosses a disk like attack of red light straight at him. It crashes into the barrier and cuts clean through. Naraku moves to the side to avoid it and the disk continues on out of the back side. The disk doesn't miss it's mark though; it rips open his side easily without a bit of effort.

Lee drops to the ground and suddenly her wound in her stomach opens up more and blood comes spurting out. With a ghostly sigh, her limp form drops face down onto the ground. Her eyes go dark close.

"No! Lee!" Moriko races to her side once more, her heart hammering in her chest. She doesn't want to lose anymore of her family. She wraps her arms under the girl's body and lifts her off the ground slightly to get a closer look at her. Lee's body is breathing, but it's slightly. She moans weakly, letting Moriko know that she's alright, but for how long exactly. "Ryu!"

From high above her in the sky, the form of a white and blue dragon comes spiraling down at blinding speed and dances around them in a circle, blocking them from everyone's view, before flying off again. Moriko is on his back, holding Lee close to her body so that she isn't jolted and glares back at the scene behind them. Naraku is glaring right back after them. Kagome and the others are approaching the battle ground from atop a giant feline's back by now and they land not too far from Inuyasha.

'Lee's been hurt by you, Naraku.' Moriko thinks to herself, glancing down in worry at her friend. 'I've been hurt by you.' Closing her eyes for a brief second, she reopens them, a new determination in her irises, and she gazes forward into the darkening sky beyond as they fly south. 'Next time, it's your turn to hurt.'

* * *

Kagome sighs again, continuing to follow after the group as they head back south. The second Lee and her group had disappeared into the clouds, Sesshomaru had attacked Naraku and his weakened body and he had ripped him to shreds. The funny thing is, he didn't die. The fiend just laughed and said that even a Guardian couldn't kill him and then disappeared.

What did he mean Guardian?

Again she sighs.

"Kagome, would you stop sulking? I'm pretty sure a wound like that wouldn't kill Lee; even if it was dealt by Naraku." Inuyasha says, glancing back at her from over his shoulder.

"I know. I know you're probably right, but we haven't seen or heard from them in nearly a week since the fall of mount Hakurei. I'm worried." She answers.

"Well, I know I'm right. She's probably off killing demons or something."

"Huh?" Kagome stops dead in her tracks.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Sango asks, touching her shoulder.

"What now?" Inuyasha huffs, turning around impatiently.

"Miroku, can you sense that too?" Kagome looks off to her left, sweeping her eyes over the planes below and across the mountain silhouettes off in the distance.

"Now that you've mentioned it, yes I do." The monk answers, following her gaze.

"What is it? What's up you guys?" Shippo asks, jumping up onto Kagome's shoulder. Beside her, Sango tightens her grip on her weapon.

"It feels like…a demonic aura, but it's seems to be circling around a much stronger aura. I've never felt one this strong before. It's almost as strong as…" Kagome's voice trails off.

"Is it Naraku?" Inuyasha's hand comes to a rest on his sword as he picks up on her suggestion, but Kagome shakes her head slowly.

"No, this one feels…different."

"Should we check it out?" Sango takes a step forward and Kirara grows to her full size in a burst of flame. The demon slayer climbs up onto her back.

"I think it would be wise." Miroku nods, climbing on behind her.

"Then let's go." Inuyasha takes the answer and pulls Kagome up onto his back. Together, the group of friends take off towards the mountains beyond.

* * *

Jaken waves his staff up, trying to push Rin's swinging feet away out of his space, but the girl just laughs and continues to swing her legs.

"Would you stop that already?" He demands.

"Of course, Master Jaken. All you had to do was ask." She smiles down at him from Aun's back. The dragon beast ignores the two smaller one's as it looks ahead, following after its true master.

Sesshomaru doesn't bother to pay any attention to the bickering behind him even when he can feel Aun's annoyance growing. Let the beast take care of it. All he has to do is remove the bit of its heads and the blazing hot blue flames would end all the shouting, but honestly he's too focused to care.

All he can think about, even though he tries to keep his mind from wandering back to it, is all the red. Lee's body had been soaked in it. Blood.

When the other girl, the one known as Moriko, had taken her away into the clouds, his body had been overcome with such massive anger and hate. He was filled with a need for revenge, but for what? All he wanted before was for Naraku's annoying existence to be destroyed, but now that goal has changed. Reshaped into something else.

He closes his eyes and holds back a sigh. This is all too new to him; being tamed, these feelings, and this….weakness. It drives him mad.

With a single movement, his claws flash out to his side, glowing green and bright with poison and anger that he needed out of his body. An ear piercing crack echoes into the forest around them, making all of those following stop in surprise, and a tree splinters and breaks, falling to the ground with a loud bang.

"My Lord?" Jaken stumbles with the words. He's never seen his Master just strike out like that with no reason. What has the great demon's mind in shambles?

"Lord Sesshomaru, is everything alright?" Rin calls, leaning around Aun's great head to glance at the demon's back.

"Quiet, child! He needs to focus!" Jaken screams at her.

That's what he needed to do. Sesshomaru opens his eyes, glaring off into the dark trees, and breathes in and out slowly, working to clear his mind of this fog. His thoughts quiet down and his focus returns slowly. He sense it then.

Demons.

Hundreds of them.

A demonic aura is surrounding them, but he can tell these demons are nothing compared to the aura they appear to be circling around. It's massive; pulsing as if it's alive somehow. His eyes widen a little in plain shock. The power resembles his own.

'Is this Naraku I'm sensing?' He wonders.

Above him, through the tree tops, he catches a glimpse of a few demons racing through the sky towards the south-east, heading for the mountains.

'Now where are they going?'

"My Lord! Those demons are heading towards the mountains." Jaken comes up beside him.

He closes his eyes, letting out a heavy breath of annoyance. He snatches up Jaken staff and drops it on the Imps head.

"AGH!"

"Are we going to follow those demons, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin calls, hopping down off Aun to help Jaken to his feet and onto the dragon beast's back.

"Yes."

"Alright! Let's go, Aun." Rin exclaims with a smile, taking the beast's reins and leading it after Sesshomaru with an unconscious Jaken on its back.

Sesshomaru keeps his eyes forward, but his senses travel on ahead of him. The demons are traveling fast towards the pulsing aura. It seems to be swirling around itself, creating a kind of sphere. Its power reminds him of Lee's fire for some reason and a vision of her, soaked in blood, flashes across his mind. Renewed, that unknown anger and lust for revenge flares throughout his body. His teeth lock tightly together and he can almost feel his fangs lengthen in response.

Naraku would die by his hand alone.

* * *

"Inuyasha, slow down!" Kagome tells him from her place on his back. She taps his shoulder hard to get his attention.

"I can hear you alright! I ain't stopping. Those demons are here for a reason and I just know it's Naraku! We can't let him escape again!"

"I don't think it's Naraku, Inuyasha." Miroku answers him.

"What?"

"His aura is nothing but a strong evil power, but this one seems to be…pulsing. Almost alive in a way. It's too concentrated."

"I agree." Kagome adds.

"Kirara, keep low. We don't want those demons to notice us." Sango pats Kirara on the neck and the feline growls in response.

Kagome looks up to get a look at all the demons above them. They just seem to be focused on the mountain itself. They fly around and around it, not getting too close, but wanting badly to as well. She can see a few smaller ones try to go a little closer, but suddenly a rock flies out and smashes them.

"Inuyasha, did you see that?"

"I sure did. Someone is here and they don't want anyone to get close." He replies.

Again a demon tries to get close, but a stream of flames, blue as the ocean, spiral out and attack it and destroying it easily.

"Huh?" Kagome recognizes those flames. She had seen them, along with Sango and Miroku, when they were flying to join Inuyasha in the fight against Naraku at mount Hakurei. Inuyasha stops the second the trees end and Kirara lands on the ground beside them.

"Hey, isn't that…?" He trails off, trying to remember the young demon's name.

"Moriko!" The young man fighting beside the girl in question pulls her out of the way when a demon attacks them with a blast of lightning from its mouth. The girl gasps and bumps into him and he wraps his arm around her waist, leaping out of harm's way. When they land, she slams her foot into the ground and the earth splits up around them like a blockade from the attacks. After the next lightning attack vanishes, she breaks the blockade from the ground and hurls it into the air, splitting the demon in half.

"Enough of this!" Inuyasha huffs. With Kagome still on his back, he waits for a demon to attack and then sends the attack right back at it. "Backlash Wave!"

The spiraling vortexes spin through the air, darkened by the demons, and they're either torn apart or they fly away to avoid it. Either way, the outcome is the same; the demons are gone.

"I don't know how long that will keep them at bay, but I'll join ya if you don't mind." Inuyasha offers, letting Kagome drop from his back.

"We can use all the help we can get." Ryu smiles, shaking his hand. "I'm Ryu and this is Moriko." The girl just nods her greeting. "We're friends of Lee's."

"Where is she?" Kagome demands.

"Kagome, calm down." Inuyasha's voice softens and he touches her shoulder.

"Yeah, she's okay."Moriko takes the girl's hands and smiles. "We brought her here so she could have a safe place to heal herself."

"Wait, heal? She can heal too?"

Moriko shakes her head. "No, she isn't a healer, she can only heal her own body, but it takes a long time."

"Sounds sort of like what Naraku does." Sango responds, coming to stand beside Kagome.

"Don't compare her to that creature!" Moriko snaps. Sango jerks in surprise. "There's a difference between healing a body and twisting one."

Ryu touches her shoulder carefully. "Calm down. They didn't say she was doing that. They just meant that-."

"I know what they meant!" She cries. Her eyes fall and she squeezes them shut. Her hand covers her mouth. "I know what they meant." She repeats more gently. "I'm sorry."

The demon turns away and disappears into the dark cave behind them.

"You'll have to excuse her. She's just…"

"I know how she feels." Sango smiles. "Having your family almost taken from you is a terrible shock to overcome."

Kagome glances at Sango and then lets her eyes shift towards the cave. Sango had thought that her brother was dead, but then he appears again under Naraku's control. Of course she'd know the feelings that Moriko is feeling.

Sango bows her head and goes into the cave, following after Moriko.

"You can go ahead inside. We can handle this out here for a while, right guys?" Ryu turns to Inuyasha and Miroku who nod in agreement. Kagome smiles and thanks them before she too heads inside.

Lee…is somewhere beyond.

* * *

_Okay, my hands hurt once again. I'm going to really enjoy writing these next few chapters though…and also hate them because my friend got a hold of it and said I'm lacking in fluff again. So these next few chapters will have more fluff and more secrets revealed! WOOT!_

_Hope y'all are enjoying the chapters and I appreciate all of the (though very few) followers and favers that I have! You guys are soooooo awesome and you keep me typing all the time…although I should try to work as hard on my college home work…Heh heh…_

_Anyhoo, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and review!_


	25. Chapter 25

_I'm starting to really get confused and slightly annoyed. I guess I'm doing a good job with my story because I'm getting people who are reading it, but how do I know if I'm messing up at all if I don't get any feedback from said readers?_

_Then again if you don't want to review that's fine (I don't really care either way), but if you something that I messed up on or something I need to add or do better, then PLEASE let me know. :D_

_This chapter is longer than I thought, and I know I promised to reveal Inuyasha's new adopted brother, but I decided to move than into a later chapter because if I had revealed him now then the storyline would've been messed up. Whoops._

_To make up for my mistake, I've added some battles and...sadly more fluff...I hate you Sam, but you do come up with some really good ideas. :D_

_Read and enjoy! __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 25-

"Wow, can you say dark?" Kagome chuckles nervously, feeling along the walls so that she doesn't trip.

"Dark." Moriko answers.

Kagome rolls her eyes, as if they could see her, and sighs heavily. "I didn't mean that literally, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. I forgot you two are humans so you can't see in the dark." Moriko laughs. She and Sango had been talking when she had entered the cave, so she had let them have their conversation before heading in. They are now friends and comrades just as Kagome had hoped.

With a short movement, Kagome reaches into her backpack and fumbles through it, feeling for her flashlight. When she finds it, she flips it on and sighs happily. "Yay, light."

"Whoa! What is that?" Moriko covers her face with her hands to block out the bright light, but inches closer so she can see the mysterious device.

"Oh, just something...my people use...where I come from." Kagome smiles nervously. She can't exactly go around telling people where she's from or, more importantly, **when** she's from.

Moriko, touches the flashlight curiously and waves her hands in front of the beam of light. "Is it fire? No, it's too steady to be fire."

"It's a type of fire actually. It's sort of like...heated light...in a way." Kagome hands over the flashlight and lets the demon girl fiddle with it, turning the light on and off a couple of times.

"Oh, I see. It's like Aki's power."

"Aki?" Sango and Kagome ask in union.

Moriko pauses, her eyes falling sadly. "She's our...uh...she **was** our friend...back at our village before it was destroyed. She had the power to control the heated light from fire itself rather than the actual element."

"Have you found her?"

"There was nothing to find." Moriko answers weakly.

Sango touches the girl's shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry to hear that, but it'll be okay. Just think of it this way: she's in a better place and she's not in any pain."

Moriko smiles. "Thanks." She takes a few breathes before shaking her head. "Okay, forget all that heavy stuff. Lee's just up ahead." She flips off the light and things go dark again...almost.

Kagome turns to look down the cave and sure enough a light is filtering in from somewhere. Moriko pushes Sango forward from behind while pulling Kagome along by the wrist gently. They turn a corner and enter into a large cavern about twenty feet high and thirty feet across. It's rounded out and a light from the ceiling highlights everything with the bright sunlight from outside. A crack in the ceiling of the cave provides this wonder.

"Wow, it's beautiful." Kagome whispers in awe.

"Yeah, me and Lee found this place about three weeks back while out on a training exercise. It was about a week before Naraku had our village destroyed." Moriko puts her hands on her hips and looks around the room with a proud emotion on her face.

Sango takes a few steps towards the fire lit in center and follows the smoke up with her eyes to where it escapes through the crack. "Is that your handy work?" She points.

"Yep!" She smiles.

"So...where's Lee?" Kagome asks.

The demon girl motions for her to follow and together they walk across the room, over to the far left side, and she leads her through a tall narrow hole in the wall. Kagome has to duck a few times and turn almost fully to the side to get through, but it's not too bad a walk. It's the perfect hiding spot for someone who's trying to lay low.

They come out into another large cavern, but this one is slightly smaller than the other one, the roof only rising about ten feet above them. A few flat rocks are built up near the back like a pedestal and above it, floating in the air, is Lee. Her body is curled up, arms wrapped around her knees, and face hidden behind them. Her hair is loose, swirling around her as if it's just floating as she is. Her clothes are folded up on the floor, but she's not bare. Bandage-like cloth wraps around her torso like a tube top and her kimono pants are still on her legs. Everything else on her body is bare. Her armor is over by her clothes along with her weapon, the fishnet glove she wore on her hand is on top of her clothes along with the black wrist band she wore on the opposite hand.

"Lee?"

"She can't hear you. At least not right now. She's in a MAC coma...as she calls it." Moriko answers, staring up at her friend.

"A what now?"

"MAC. It stands for Massive Aura Compression. While she's healing herself, her aura kind of compresses around her, building up like a barrier in a way but it doesn't guard her. It's mostly used to scare off smart demons, but others come here to kill her and absorb that power."

"Oh, so that aura that I felt...?" Kagome trails off, turning to stare at Lee again.

"Yep, that's Lee. The time she spent in this state makes her vulnerable and se can't hear anything that approaches her. If something does come near her though, her power lashes out on its own free will. That's why we keep our distance. It's...like a defense mechanism, you know?"

"Oh. I see." Kagome continues to gaze up at her friend floating in mid air in a bright pinkish orb, but a shout has her attention immediately.

"Kagome!"

"Oh, that's Inuyasha!"

The two girls head back into the previous room and stop cold.

Sango has her weapon at ready and glares off at the entrance. Inuyasha stands off a bit farther into the cave leading out, but she can tell he tried to stop the intruder.

"Sesshomaru." Sango growls.

"Excuse me!" A small figure pushes past Inuyasha and Ryu and runs up to Sesshomaru. "Hi, Miss Kagome."

"Rin. You're here too."

"Yes. We're looking for why the demons are drawn here." She smiles warmly.

Instantly, her heart sinks and she glances at the tall narrow hole leading to the other room. How long has it been since Rin has seen Lee? How would the child react when she sees her? Especially seeing her in the state she's in.

"It's..."

"Nothing for you to know." Moriko cuts her off.

"Moriko, they have to know. They're her family too. She told me so." Kagome tries to reason with the demon girl.

"No. Back at the mountain, this guy did squat to help her while she fought Naraku! She wouldn't be in this state if it wasn't for him!"

Kagome grabs her arm and holds her back before she can charge at him. "You don't understand. After you guys left, he did attack Naraku, but he wouldn't die anyway."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't think...Naraku has a heart anymore. So that's the reason he won't die. Sesshomaru hit him and tore him apart, but he still didn't die. He brushed it off as if he just slapped him."

"That's impossible. He has to have a weak spot, right? He can't be immortal!"

"Kagome, why are you defending him?" Inuyasha demands.

"I'm not. I don't like how he treats her either, Inuyasha, but it's true that he tried to kill Naraku and we all saw the outcome." Kagome closes her eyes, sighing. What could she do? Should she let him go to Lee? Would Lee forgive her if she did? Whatever happened between her and Gensoumaru has really messed with her heart.

"Sesshomaru." She says his name softly, but sternly, picking her words carefully.

He turns his blank gold eyes to her when she calls his name, but he doesn't speak.

Kagome turns a little. "She's there."

Moriko starts to object, but she just looks at her and the demon stops her words. With a stiff movement, she holds her hand out towards the wall and the earth hole widens just enough for him to pass through.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asks, looking up at him with confusion in her eyes.

He gives her a quick look before taking a step towards the hole.

"Ah! Lord Sesshomaru, wait for me!" Jaken comes pushing through the blockade that Ryu and Inuyasha make and stops for only a second, glancing around for his target and yelping in surprise when he sees him and Rin disappearing into the darkness of a narrow hole. "No, wait, please!"

Once all three of them are inside, Moriko places her hands on either side of the gap.

"Don't, Mori! I know you're not that cruel."

Moriko's claws dig into the wall and her arms begin to shake angrily and conflictingly.

"Moriko." Kagome reaches out to touch her shoulder, but she jerks away and stomps out of the cave past Inuyasha and Ryu.

"Let her go. She needs to cool off." Ryu chuckles softly. "Have you guys eaten anything?"

"No. It's almost dusk isn't it?" Inuyasha asks.

"Yeah..."

Their conversation dies off in her ears as Kagome turns to look at the hole in the wall where Sesshomaru, Rin, and Jaken had all disappeared.

'I wonder how it's going...'

* * *

"Ah!" Again, Rin falls, tripping over a rock jutting out of the floor.

"Hurry!" Jaken rushes her.

"I'm sorry, Master Jaken, I can't see where I'm going." She answers. She's about to reach her hand out again and grab for the wall, but a larger hand takes hers and helps her to her feet. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru.

He doesn't answer as he continues to walk, ducking sideways a few times to avoid hitting his head. Rin grabs onto the long scarf of fur so that she doesn't fall again, trying her best to keep up with his long strides. Behind her, Jaken cross his arms around his staff and remains quiet.

'Why would Lord Sesshomaru be drawn to this place? Especially when it is filled with Inuyasha's group and all these humans. Who is it that he's looking for?' The small imp thinks. He suddenly gets a mental picture of Lee in his mind and a light goes off in his head. 'Ah! I understand. He wishes to find Lee for Rin's sake!'

The narrow walk way finally opens up and Sesshomaru stops just inside the opening, refusing to let either of them pass. His eyes widen a little as he finally finds the aura he was drawn to, the one that rivaled his very own.

It's Lee's.

She floats there in mid air quietly as if time around her has changed to a different speed than theirs outside her bubble.

Her kimono top, weapon, and armor are all set neatly on the floor off to the side of the room. Bandages are wrapped around her torso, exposing her shoulders, arms, and stomach to the elements around her, but it doesn't look as if they could touch her even if they tried. A bright pinkish light swirls around her like a sphere of protection.

"Don't try to get too close." A voice says from behind him, breaking his trance.

He glances back slowly over his shoulder.

Off about two feet behind Jaken is the human who follows his younger brother, the one with the priestess powers. Her hands are folded neatly in front of her while her eyes are staring at him carefully, almost sadly. What is her problem with him?

"That pink light around her will apparently attack anything that gets close to her body while she recovers. Moriko says it's her defense mechanism while she's in this state." She explains.

"What is? What are you talking about Miss Kagome?" Rin asks.

Kagome glances at the small child for only a second before turning back t him. "You haven't told her that Lee's alive?"

"She already knows." Sesshomaru answers, barely giving her time to finish the sentence.

"I see." Again her eyes fall to the floor. What does she have against him? He can see that she doesn't trust him and that there is anger in her voice towards him, but he doesn't know why. "Don't hurt her, Sesshomaru. She may be strong now, but her heart will always be the same: fragile." With that, Kagome turns away and leaves the way she came, disappearing into the shadows once again.

Finally rid of her, he turns back towards Lee's form, but for some reason the human's words are engraved in his mind.

"_Don't hurt her, Sesshomaru. She may be strong now, but her heart will always be the same: fragile._"

Fragile.

He knew that...deep down. He had seen it before, or a piece of it anyway. She had cried before him, revealed a shadow of her heart. He had seen her shed away a piece of her old self to reveal someone new. Those tears, released from years of fear and scars that never healed...that would probably never heal. His eyes close, remembering those moments he held her while those tears fell from her eyes. He remembered how badly he had wanted those tears to cease and to see her smile once more. That smile...

The one thing that plagued his memories the most. Why?

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin's soft voice echoes up to his ears.

Now is the time to let her know. He takes a step into the larger cavern and allows Rin's eyes to finally see into the room. Her gasp fills the entire space, bouncing off the walls and repeating in his ears.

"What-?" Her eyes go wide and her small body turns to stone. "That's-"

"It is Lee." Sesshomaru answers her.

"S-sister..."

Lee's body remains motionless; it doesn't respond to her voice.

"Sister!"

"No, Rin!" Jaken grabs her arm before the child can rush forward.

"Let me go!"

" No, did you not hear that human? She warned us not to get close." Jaken pulls harder, but Rin continues to fight against him.

"No! Lee wouldn't hurt me!" Rin cries.

Sesshomaru watches her struggle, being careful to watch her movements in case she decides to race towards Lee's body, but Jaken holds fast.

"What's going on in here?" A voice snaps. Rin ignores it and finally breaks free of Jaken's hold. "No! Stop!"

Two strong arms grab her and pull her close, but she continues to struggle.

"Calm down. She's fine; Lee's fine." Rin is turned around and forced to look up into the woman's face. "You have to let her sleep for a bit longer okay? You have to be strong and wait for her."

Rin stops her struggles, wiping tears off of her face, and nods weakly.

"Atta girl." Moriko smiles.

Unable to stop her tears any longer, Rin sobs and buries her face into Moriko's shoulder.

"Sesshomaru." Moriko calls back as she strokes the child's head, refusing to look at him. "The demons are starting to gather around the mountain again. If you're going to stay here and guard Lee then it's your job to help with the demons. If you refuse, then you're going to have to leave."

For a long moment, he doesn't respond to the woman's threat. His eyes bore into the back of her head and then glance at Rin who continues to cry into her shoulder. Could he tear Rin from Lee? Did he even want to try?

No.

The answer is clear in his mind.

He draws his sword and walks past Jaken out of the room.

"Jaken, come." He calls.

"Yes, m'Lord!"

Moriko, totally shocked, follows their vanishing forms with her eyes. He's...going to help?

"A-are those demons...after my sister?" Comes Rin's trembling voice.

Moriko returns to stroking her head. "Yeah, but she'll be-."

"I want to help then." Her voice stops shaking suddenly and she looks up. "I want to help protect her too." Her face is still drawn up tight with worry, but her big eyes hold a fierce determination that not many humans have.

Moriko's eyes widen in shock at her demand. "Uh..."

"Please teach me how to fight! I want to learn." Rin pushes on her shoulders. "Please!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"I'll work hard!"

Moriko sighs. "Lee would kill me."

"She doesn't have to know! Please!" Rin urges.

"Ugh!" Moriko stands up, but the small child just grabs her waist wrap. She stares down into the girl's eyes which only get impossibly bigger. "Gaa! You're too cute to refuse!"

She drops back down to her knees and entangles the human child into a tight hug.

"Thank you!" Rin exclaims happily.

Out of nowhere the whole room shakes and a loud roar of thunder breaks the happy moment. The y both glance around nervously.

"Geez, it feels like the whole mountain side is coming down." Moriko states.

"Huh?" Rin turns big terrified eyes up at her.

"Uh...no, no! No, hun, don't worry, it won't come down. I control earth so we'll be fine." Moriko quickly assures her, giving her another hug. Rin seems to take this answer and hugs her back. Moriko picks her up and heads towards the exit to see what's going on, but a new sound stops her in her tracks.

Someone is angry.

"Uh-oh..."

"Huh?"

Moriko turns back around slowly with a look of horror written squarely on her face. Rin eyes grow even bigger.

Sure enough, the sphere of pink light...is beginning to fall.

* * *

"Geez, how many of them are there?" Kagome groans, letting another sacred arrow fly.

"Don't give up yet." Sango calls from Kirara's back, swinging her weapon around and slicing through another horde of demons. Miroku swings his staff and cuts through two more demons from behind her.

"Yeah, but it's still annoying." Inuyasha leaps up and tears his sword through five demons at once. Shippo casts his fox fire at a few smaller demons who make it to the ground.

"I don't know how they're getting this close!"Ryu calls, breathing out a stream of blue flames. "Lee's aura alone should be keeping them at bay, but..." He stops.

"What is it?" Kagome asks.

He glances back for a split second at the cave. "Her aura...it's moving."

"What?"

"Look out!" Inuyasha cries.

Ryu quickly dodges a fire ball from a demon above before shifting form into a giant crow demon and gutting it with his beak. The demon screams in agony.

Not far off, Jaken is blasting fire from his staff and then running away from any demons he misses. Sesshomaru slashes a group of demons apart and then lets his other attack fly. "Dragon Strike." The bright blue lightning shreds the demons to pieces before he lands perfectly on the ground.

"We're not getting anywhere with this." Inuyasha growls.

"I'll clean up the rest." Miroku is about to open his wind tunnel, but a demon hit Kirara from behind and sends them crashing back down to the ground.

"Miroku, Sango! Are you two okay?" Kagome calls, rushing to their sides.

"We're fine."

The demons all continue to swirl around in the air, ever closer than before. Their previous fear from before is long gone and now they approach the mountain, thirsty for blood.

"They just keep coming; there's no end to them. We need more fire power." Miroku yells.

"Then move aside." Moriko, holding Rin's hand, comes running out of the cave and pushing aside anyone in front of it.

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha asks, stumbling forward as she shoves him forward, out of the way.

"Saving you're butts. She's mad!"

"What?" Ryu's eyes enlarge in horror. "Please don't tell me..."

"Yeah...she's awake." Moriko then pulls Rin to the edge rock wall just outside the cave entrance and ducks down, holding the girl close.

Everyone else follows her slowly, not really sure what she's worried about.

From inside the cave, bright red, swirling lights exit out of the darkness, spiraling around a form that seems to be floating across the ground. She stops in the middle of the large ledge overlooking the forest below from the cave and exposing herself to the demons who have swarmed here to devour her power.

"You all have come here for me, so come." She says to the hundreds of demons around her. Her eyes open, revealing cat-like, glowing red eyes. "I'm sick of your presence here!"

The demons pick up of her anger, building her power higher, and they all come at her in one charge with their fangs and claws bared, ready to kill.

She raises one hand out to her side, her claws catching the light and gleaming.

With a single movement unseen to the human eyes, fire explodes in a bright light that would rival the sun and like glass, the demons shatter and blow away from her from the blast. Cries of pain die off into the air.

Those few demons left behind, smartly retreat away from the mountain.

Her eyes close slowly once again. Her arm, which she had brought across her chest, drops back down to her side. The bright swirling lights around her spin faster with her emotions as she turns away, returning to the cave where she came and leaving the others behind staring in shock.

"Lee?"

"I'm going to bed."

"Again?" Moriko snaps.

"I just wasted good energy. I'm going to bed." Lee powers, letting the darkness of the cave swallow her.

Rin pulls out of Moriko's arms and races after her. "Lee!"

Kagome is about to go after her, but Moriko stops her. "Hold on. Let her go. They've been a part long enough. This needs to happen."

* * *

Lee takes a step up on the rocks, ready to slip herself back into her coma state, but Rin's screams jolt her to a halt.

"Stop!" Rin breathes heavily from her run. "Sis-."

"Rin, you have to understand something. Your 'Lee' died. I'm not that same person anymore. I-."

"NO!" Rin screams.

Lee flinches, but she keeps her back to her, unable to face her.

"My mommy used to tell me all the time that people change and grow; they may look differently or sound differently, but they're still the same on the inside. Our hearts never change! They just grow!" Rin cries, tears brimming her eyes. "You're still my sister..."

A these words, Lee turns around and their eyes meet after so long. Rin wipes the tears off her face, but new ones just replace them.

"Don't leave me anymore..." She sniffs.

Lee releases a breath she hadn't known that she'd been holding and it feels like dozens of heavy chains lift away off her heart. Her eyes mist blur over and a tear escapes.

Slowly, she steps down off the rocks and smiles at her-the child who is her sister. Rin returns her smile and rushes at her, leaping into the air. Lee catches her in her arms and holds her close.

How long has it been since she was this free? Free from the confusion Sesshomaru caused her? Free from all the anger she had for Naraku? Free from the sadness and mourning she felt after losing her village and friends? Free from the cage she's been held in?

Is this really all she needed? To be accepted again by her sister?

As time passes, Rin stops crying and eventually falls asleep in her arms.

* * *

"I can't believe this! She wakes up, waists a tiny bit of energy, and then freaks out over it and goes back to sleep!" Moriko throws her hands up into the air and stomps back into the cave. Kagome smiles, shakes her head, and follows her back in. The others do the same.

All except for Sesshomaru. Jaken stares at the great demon's back as he stares off after the demons who fly off towards the setting sun. For a long while he doesn't move; he just breathes in and out, tasting the still scorched air. It burns his lungs, causing the hair across his arms and on the back of his neck to rise.

So he had not found Naraku, but instead he found the only other being that draws him. Lee; the one who had tamed him. Right about now, he begins to wonder how he had been tamed. When she had been only a single average human, she somehow became his friend. A human!

**He**, the great demon ruler of the western lands, had let a human befriend him! And even more-he had accepted it in return!

And now, in her new changed life, he had been tamed by a half-demon. Yet, she was not a half-demon. She's something more.

How had he done all the things he said he would never do?

He sighs and turns to enter the cave.

"Wait, please, my Lord!" Jaken cries, stumbling to catch up.

That's yet another thing he didn't quite understand. Since when had he started tolerating Inuyasha's presence? Before, he could barely stand to look at him.

'Aun. Where is he?' Sesshomaru wonders. The second he enters the cave, he takes in a deep breath, being sure to stay in the shadows. When he finds the beast's scent, he follows it back through the narrow passage way and into the room where Lee had once slumbered. He expected to find her once again floating in the air inside that bubble from before, but no.

She leans back against the rocks in the center of the room, breathing deeply in slumber. Rin is right next to her, curled up into her side with her eyes closed. Two sister, probably sharing the same dream.

A slight chill brushes against his arms from behind him and he can see Lee tighten her grip around Rin's body.

"Shall I start a fire for them, m'Lord?" Jaken asks, raising his staff.

"No."

"But it will be night soon, Lord Sesshomaru. The cave will no doubt get much colder."

Sesshomaru glances off at the two girls in thought. "Go to sleep, Jaken."

"Ah! Uh...yes, m'Lord." Jaken skips off over towards the rock wall, where Lee's kimono top and the rest of her things are folded up, and then curls up against it, keeping his staff at hand. within seconds, he's fast asleep.

Sesshomaru doesn't move for the longest time, staring at them all. Sleep wouldn't come easy for him tonight, not with his...His? His what? He shifts his eyes back to Lee's sleeping face.

'Tamer...' The word echoes through his mind. His brows furrow in anger. His fists clench together until his knuckles turn white. Even the new demon arm he had acquired not too long ego hurts from the tight grip. His teeth click together as his jaw locks.

Lee shifts. "Sesshomaru..."

Her sleepy mumble washes away his anger, leaving him a blank slate of shock and confusion. Is she awake? had she seen his rage?

Rin continues to sleep while Lee mumbles, but neither of them stir awake. Something pulls inside him. Again.

With a few long strides, he makes his way over to the two sleeping sisters. He sits down close to Lee's left side, leaving Rin to have her right, and leans back against the rocks too. Hopefully, sleep will make it to him tonight. Closing his eyes, he takes a few deep breathes through his mouth. Her scent brushes across his tongue, sweet and deadly. With only a few inhales, he's addicted to it. it only twists his insides even tighter into knots.

His mind is about made up its decision to leave, it would be better for him, but she shifts again. Her head falls over onto his shoulder, her soft straight hair falling in threads around her. she snuggles into the fur around his shoulder as she unconsciously seeks out warmth.

She goes still once more and he sighs. It'll be even harder to get to sleep now. Wanting to make it easier for himself, he leans up, being careful not to wake her, and slowly removes his armor. The hard metal doesn't do much to help him sleep when there are rocks to his back.

As he leans back again, Rin stirs this time, waking up, but not fully. She sits up, rubs her big eyes, looks around sleepily, and then crawls over Lee to lay her head against his left knee.

He closes his eyes, trying to calm his annoyance. These two are just **trying** to make his life a living hades.

He reaches over, grabbing the fur over his shoulder, and wraps it around Lee's shoulders, across his lap, and then drapes it over Rin's sleeping form. She grabs it and snuggles into the fur like a teddy bear.

This would be a very long night.

* * *

It's a bit after dawn when Rin wakes up from her warm dreams. She untangles herself from the fluffy scarf that Sesshomaru carries and glances up at him. She smiles.

His arm and the fluff circles around Lee who is snuggled into his side. They breathe deeply from sleep, but she still takes her time to be quiet anyway. She follows her stomach out of the room and back out into the bigger cavern, passing right by Moriko who is asleep against the wall next to the narrow passageway.

"Are they sleeping?"

Rin spins around, gasping. Moriko opens her eyes to stare at the young child. "Oh, yes. I'm just hungry."

"Hmm..." She turns her eyes to the entrance. "There's a river near here, I believe. Want to get fish for breakfast for everyone?"

Rin clasps her hands together excitedly. "Yeah!"

Moriko gets to her feet with a smile. "You really are a cutie, you know? I can understand why Lee loves you so much."

Rin takes her offered hand and together the two leave the cave giggling.

* * *

In her dreams, Lee is surrounded by a group of people.

Her mom, her little brother, her big brother, her baby sister, all her friends, and her boyfriend. That's when she realizes it's a dream. She never had a boyfriend back home; she didn't like any of the big-headed boys around her neighborhood. The boy holding onto her arm is surely her boyfriend though, in her dream, but something is missing. His face. All the people around her she can see perfectly; all but him. His face is blurred over, like a wash of colors. It's almost like she's blind to only his face. Who is he?

When that question goes across her mind, his face clears up and she jerks back in horror. Gensoumaru!

"_Am I not who you expected?_" His voice echoes to her as his face becomes serious and he reaches for her. She backs away again, bumping into her mom who vanishes like smoke. "_Do you not want me? Are you still obsessed with that demon who you say cares for you?_" He asks again.

She backs away more, the bright world around her washing away into darkness until only they are the solitary things left. He continues to come at her, his form dressed in the normal clothes a boy would wear back in her time. His eyes turn more gentle, inviting her to come to him. Her heart throbs and pounds in her chest like a painful pulsing.

"_No._" She tells him, but her voice is weak. "_I don't want you._"

"_So you are still addicted to him._" He chuckles, his tone becoming darker. "_Then I'll have to break that addiction..._" His normal hands become the clawed ones she knew he really had and he reaches at her, faster now than she had ever seen him move before.

"_No! Get away from me, Gensoumaru!_" She yells.

"_Lee...?_" A new voice calls. She tears her eyes away from Gensoumaru and glances around. Where was the voice coming from? Who is it? "_Lee?_"

"_No..._" Gensoumaru growls. He reaches one last time for Lee, aiming for her throat and she screams again.

The invisible floor gives way from under her feet and she falls into the darkness below. It swallows her and she only screams louder.

"Lee." The voice has turned demanding now and Lee rips open her eyes.

Where is she? What happened?

She shakes her head, trying to break the fog of sleep from her mind so that she can figure out her surroundings. '_That's right. I fought Naraku and lost. Now, I'm underground resting to recover my strength. Inuyasha and his group are here as well and Sesshomaru. Where are Moriko and Ryu?_' She reaches out with her senses to find them, but she only locates Ryu, still sleeping in the other room.

"Lee."

This time the voice is still demanding, but softer in a way. She turns around, to find Sesshomaru sitting next to her. The fur he carries around is wrapped around her waist, keeping her warm. She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breathes to lower her heart rate, still hammering away in her rib cage, and then collapses back against the rock with a sigh of relief.

"Nightmare..." She mumbles to herself.

"It sounded like a bad one." He answers, sinking back onto the rock as well after she calms down. She opens her eyes.

"You heard me?" She asks.

"You were screaming." He answers, closing his eyes again. His face turns to hard stone and she blinks twice in surprise.

"Really?...What exactly...did I scream about?"

"You were calling for your mother and then you really started to yell. Something about 'get away' and then you said 'no' a lot..."

Lee sighs in relief. Good, nothing else was said. She closes her eyes again.

"And then you said 'Gensoumaru'."

Her body jerks back to its previous stiff state. Crap, he heard! "Uh...who?" She decides to play it off.

"Gensoumaru." Again, he says the name, his voice flat and expressionless like always.

The word make heat burn in her veins. "Odd." She chuckles. "I wonder who that is?"

"You're a poor liar."

"Huh?" She barely gets the word out before his hand slams into her shoulder, knocking her over onto the floor on her back. In a flash he towers over her, casting a shadow over her body. She stares up at him in shock. His clawed hand he had used against her, presses heavily on her shoulder again, pinning her to the ground, while the other, his newly acquired hand, remains at his side. "Sesshomaru-?"

"Who is Gensoumaru?" He cuts her off, his voice as sharp as a blade. His eyes have turned colder than ice, the ice even Gensoumaru had used, but his face is expressionless and distant.

"I..." She reaches up, survival instincts kicking in, and pushes against his chest. "Get off of me, Sesshomaru." She says sternly.

His grasp on her shoulder tightens, almost painful. "Answer me."

"I don't have to do squat if you're going to talk to me like that!" Anger finally breaks out of her, but she keeps her voice down. She doesn't want her fire to hurt him unless it's absolutely necessary. She pulls her hand back and slams it into the center of his chest, aiming carefully away from his heart. The blow knocks him up, widening his eyes in surprise and she uses her newly freed legs to flip him off to her right and onto his back. She leaps up before he can move and pins him down, straddling him across his waist. "Gensoumaru attacked me back at the mountain. He's one of Naraku's incarnations, that's all." She growls at him, feeling her eyes glowing with rage.

Was Gensoumaru right? Does Sesshomaru really only desire her? Pain fills up in her heart, creeping up her face and invading her eyes. The glowing in her eyes dims as the tears fill up.

'_No!_' She wipes them away, refusing to cry in front of anyone ever again.

"So what? He was nice to me! He messed around with my feelings!" She snaps. "He's Naraku in every shape and form and he's nothing! What else you want to know, huh? Are you going to tell me to stay away from him? Yeah, I know that already! Are you going to tell me that he doesn't care about me and that all he said was lies? Then say it! I've had enough of people playing with my heart and I'm tired of it!"

She lowers her fist that she had raised in case he tried to move. Her other hand that she was using to hold down his shoulder loosens. She covers her face, the tears finally breaking free. "I'm tired of it..." She repeats again through her sobs.

In the thick silence and pain around her, she doesn't even feel him there with her. It's like he's gone. That gap, the one that had taken root by uncertainty, opens up wider. The words Gensoumaru had seeded in her heart come rushing back.

"_That was his mistake. Can you honestly tell yourself that he loves you? Or does he just desire you?_"

"_You shouldn't have to second guess anything. You should be sure of who you love. You deserve love that is true, that is strong._"

"_You should never be unsure, Lee._"

A heavy sob racks her body and she gets to her feet slowly, leaving him where he lies. Bit by bit, she makes it over to where her kimono lies folded up with her armor and weapon. She stares down at it as the tears fall onto it, without shame. Why did this always happen? Why did she always end up hurt around him? Is this all she'll have here?

'_I want to go home._' She thinks to herself. She falls to her knees by her things and closes her eyes again. Kiyoshi would know what to do. She'd know what to say. Just like her mom would know too.

Lee can hear him get to his feet then, why he had stayed on the ground so long she'll never understand, but ever step he takes in her direction feels like a stake driving through her heart again and again. She should tell Jaken to wake up so that he won't be able to say anything with someone in here, but even through her blurred vision, she can't seem to find him anywhere.

He stops right there behind her. He doesn't move. He doesn't speak.

She refuses to give him the time it takes to breathe, so she too remains silent.

Reaching down, he places a hand on her shoulder. At first she doesn't know what to do, but then her anger strikes back and she jerks him off. He doesn't take this too well, so he grabs her again, but this time he pulls her straight up to her feet. She about to argue, but his form engulfs her and his mouth finds hers. His arms hold her to him tightly, crushing her against him.

With every ounce of her strength, she fights against him, but he doesn't release her.

He finally breaks away and she's not the only one breathing hard.

"Stop it!" She growls through her tears. "Get away from me. You don't mean it at all." She tells him, as if he had said something to her. "You don't care."

"Did he also tell you that?" Is his response.

"Was he wrong?" She snaps, glaring up at him through her tears. "You don't care. I know you don't. If you did, you wouldn't enjoy making me miserable." She pulls out of his arms and tries to walk away to the crowded room at the front of the cave, but he grabs her arm to stop her.

His hand comes up and, surprising her, his finger gently brush over her eyes, his claws barely even touch her as he wipes away a lingering tear. "if I enjoyed making you cry so much, then I'd be a fool."

"Huh?" She stares wide-eyed up at him, a small paper-thin strand of hope whisking through her heart.

He turns away, walking back to wear her kimono top is folded up neatly. Reaching down again, he picks it up and stares down at it thoughtfully. "I won't repeat myself, so don't ask it of me." He tells her sternly.

"But..." She stares at his back for the longest time, confused again like he usually always makes her feel. His face is turned away from her, but she can see his new hand, smooth and pale, but a darker blue like the last demon arm he had had. Just like last time, the demon hand has three fingers and a thumb, but it's still a normal length. The hand is balled up into a tight fist, the knuckles pressing against the flesh as if they would tear out. Why is he so stiff? He's usually the calm and collected one.

"I don't know what this Gensoumaru told you..." He starts, still refusing to face her. "But..."

She expected him to say something nice like 'he was wrong' or 'he lied and I do care'. Instead...?

"...You really shouldn't believe everything you hear without getting the truth."

Her eyes narrow in annoyance as she glares at his back. Well, there goes her hope strand.

"You should've asked me directly." He finishes.

"Would you have told me? I know you don't like showing your emotions or saying stuff you don't want to, but don't you think it'd be fair to try at least once?" Lee asks. Suddenly, she regrets the words. He had risked his life to save hers when her soul had shattered. He had kissed her through her tears and said that he had forgiven her for leaving. Then again, there's always that small chance he did it because he needed a heart to play around with. Sadly, hers is weaker than most. She pushes the regret aside. There's no way she's going to go easy on him.

"Gensoumaru..." He says the name like a disease and that demon fist tightens impossibly more.

'_Huh...is he...?_' She glances from the hand to the back of his head. '_There's no way he's..._' She shakes her head clear of the thought.

"Forget it. It's over and done." She says, walking up behind him and taking her kimono out from his grasp. With a few extra steps, she leans down to pick up her armor.

"It sounds like you're saying that you're leaving again." His voice is dead, blank, cold.

"Rin is still my sister. I'll come by to see her as soon as I can." Lee grins secretively to herself. Play with him a little, maybe he'll start talking. Out of nowhere, his hand lands heavily on her shoulder and she jumps in surprise, dropping her things.

He still stares at the floor. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Leave."

She spins around, leaving his hand motionless in the air between them. "Then give me a reason to stay because from where I'm standing, I don't see much to hold onto."

The words are cold, but she doesn't care. He gets what he gives.

Like a flash of light, he takes a step in her direction and he towers over her again. With his armor off, he looks much less demon-ish. Bravely, she stares up into his gold eyes, refusing herself the chance to look away.

A second later, his eyes shift again, turning dull, and he lowers himself to his knees in front of her. As he drops, her eyes get wider and wider. His hand rests on her waist gently, the other he places on his knee. "Tell me what to do."

Shock slams into her heart, stopping it for a fraction of a second. She stops breathing for as long as she can, not wanting to believe this is just a dream. It's too unreal. She's not sure what to say. "What...I...?"

Her words stumble.

"G-get up! What are you doing!" She tries to chuckle as if to make herself believe he's just joking around, but he doesn't move. His face is lowered, his eyes are closed.

Kiyoshi had spoken of this before. She called it 'Submission'. She said a demon only 'Submits' when his or her heart is set. Kiyoshi had also told her about an act called 'Marking'. When a demon 'Submits' his heart to one person, it's almost the same as being 'Marked' by the 'Submitting' demon. She had told her the act binds them to the one their heart is set on. They would never be able to lie to the person again, but if they 'Marked' the person, they would never be able to betray that person. It's like marriage in a way, but more binding and permanent. It's nearly impossible to break a 'Mark'. A 'Submission' thought isn't as strong as a 'Mark' so it can be broken if a stronger one is placed above it.

Knowing all this, Lee doesn't even bother to stop the tears. This time, they're not burning hot. They're warm and soft like a candle flame. A few land on Sesshomaru's head and he looks up at her.

"Don't. Don't...say that..." She says from behind her hand.

"Say what?" He asks. "You told me you wanted me to."

"I didn't mean it like that...I just wanted you to be more open with me...to tell me the truth, so that...I didn't want you to mess with my feelings like Gensoumaru had." She sobs.

"His words were lies, as you said."

"And yours aren't?" She asks, opening her eyes to look into his face. Her hand still covers her mouth.

"If they were..." His voice trails off and she knows he can't and won't say it.

"You wouldn't be here right now? You wouldn't be 'Submitting'?"

He turns his eyes back to hers.

"I know about 'Submitting', yeah. Kiyoshi told me." Lee closes her eyes again, a deep heat touching her face.

"Then...yes." He lowers his head again.

She sobs again, louder. For some reason, the warmth won't go away. Her tears won't stop.

"Would you stop crying." He sighs.

"I...can't help it...they won't...stop." She laughs.

Her laughter has him looking up again to stare at her. The pain in her face is gone, replaced by something else. Something he had seen long ago when he had left his body to find her soul. She's...happy.

He stands up again and pulls her hand away from her face. "Stop them or I won't." He threatens softly before once again pressing his mouth to hers. This time the kiss isn't forced. It isn't crushing and angry.

This time it's soft and warm. His hands come to rest of her waist, but stop there. He isn't pushing her. He doesn't try to hurry her. He doesn't take the chance to rip at the bandaging around her torso. She stands there frozen by the realization of this and tries to figure out why. Her eyes close and she lets go. Technically, he hadn't told her straight out that he cared about her, but, more importantly, he had showed her. She grabs his hands and pulls him closer, so that he'd have to wrap his arms around her. He opens his eyes a little to make sure she wasn't tricking him before he leans into her and pulls her against him.

The confusion is gone now.

She wraps her arms tighter around his neck and he brushes his claws up her spine, sending shivers through her.

The uncertainty is gone.

He threads his fingers into her hair and she does the same only she holds it so that he couldn't pull away until she was ready for him to. He doesn't object at all, turning the kiss deeper until fire was exploding inside her heart.

Joy replaces everything.

When she pulls away for a fraction of a second she finds him breathing just as heavy as her. His breath enters her mouth, letting her taste him. She kisses him again and this time she sucks in a deep breath and allows him to let his lips wander; trailing down her jaw line and then down her neck and across her collar bone. Fire rips at her skin and explodes inside her heart and down into the pit of her stomach. She pulls his face back to hers before he can have a chance to pull away and kisses him again.

It lasted forever, but it ended too soon, Sesshomaru sighs and gently pulls at her tightening arms.

She groans in annoyance, refusing to let him step away from her and she buries her face into his kimono that had come loose around his neck and breathes deeply until his scent is burned into her memory.

"Must I be the one to have the control." It's a statement not a question.

"Don't talk to me about control. Wasn't it **you** who jumped **me** last time?" She chuckles, breathing into his neck. She can feel him shiver softly, but he quickly covers it up and sighs. "So I'm right." She smiles.

"You shouldn't sound so proud." He covers her mouth again with his, quickly distracting her attention.

* * *

"Hey, uh, where's...?" Lee enter the main room, Sesshomaru right behind her.

"How the hell should we know?" Inuyasha answers, digging around in Kagome's bag. "Man, I'm hungry."

"Inuyasha, get out of my bag! If you want something then why don't you try asking?" Kagome snatches her bag away from his clawing fingers and wraps her arms around it.

"I think I heard her and Moriko walk out somewhere around dawn." Ryu says, sitting up out of his corner and stretching.

Lee pauses for a second. "Walked out?" She lets the words run through her mind over and over again. Moriko has a weakness for cute human children, sure, but to just up and walk out with Rin? She hardly knows her. Lee's eyes narrow.

'_I get it. She's trying to win Rin over to her side so she can steal her away from me._' She grinds her teeth. '_Darn that annoying little...! There is no way she's going to take Rin away and win my sister!_'

She spins on her heel and returns to the back cavern to get her weapon, her loud stomps echoing away with her.

"What's up with her?" Sango asks.

"I'm sure it's just rivalry." Ryu chuckles.

"What do you mean?" Kagome again, pulls the bag out of Inuyasha's reach when he tries to use her momentary distraction to get it back.

"Well, Moriko just adores cute human children. We don't know where her obsession came from or when it started, but we just know that she'll do anything to win them over so that they'll be her loyal siblings for life. She probably got jealous when she heard that Rin is Lee's little sister by adoption, so now she's apparently going to try and steal her." Ryu explains. "This should be one heck of a battle."

"I agree." Sango covers her mouth and muffles her laugh.

Out of nowhere, a blood hurtling scream shatters the morning.

They're all on their feet in seconds.

"What was that?" Miroku demands.

"I don't know, but it didn't sound good." Inuyasha grips his sword.

Sesshomaru, who had quietly been waiting for Lee to return and doing his best to ignore the annoying chatter, instantly goes stiff and takes a step towards the cave entrance, but Lee is faster. She races past him like a blur and exits out into the morning air.

"Lee! Wait up!" Ryu grabs his belt and heads out after her, followed closely by Sesshomaru and then Inuyasha's group.

They all come to a halt at the edge of the ledge overlooking the valley of trees below. Lee has her weapon secured in her hand, released from the line it dangles from by the hook on her armor, and her eyes have begun to almost glow again.

"Lee stay here. You're not fully recharged. We'll take care of it." Ryu rests his hand on her shoulder, getting a glare from Sesshomaru which he ignores, but Lee brushes him off.

"My sister is down there, Ryu. I don't care how weak I am; I'm not going to let her get hurt." With these words hanging in the air behind her, she leaps off the cliff and disappears into the trees below them. Sesshomaru follows after her without a word.

They all stand there, glancing at each other.

"Well, I'm going. I've missed a good fight that I can actually win." Sango shrugs. "Come one Kirara!" She leaps onto her feline companion with Miroku climbing on behind her and they take off into the sky.

"Well, we can't let Lee have all the fun. Let's go Kagome."

"Okay." Kagome pulls her bow onto her back and lets Inuyasha pull her onto his back.

Ryu watches all of them go, momentarily speechless, but then he chuckles and a smiles breaks out onto his face.

"Lee, you've been given some really good friends. Don't lose them." He says into the wind, taking one last look into the sky before leaping off the ledge and shifting into the new form he had learned nearly a month ago. The demon crow takes off into the blue morning sky, letting the wind carry him to the battle awaiting below.

* * *

_Yeeeaah, I think I went a little overboard with the length on this chapter...sorry! :D_

_Thanks again to all the people who faved, alerted, and at least read this story. You guys are awesome! _

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __**review!**_


	26. Chapter 26

_Okay, I KNOW this is a short chapter, but I promise it is good!...Well…in my mind it is. I totally am sooooooo proud of this chapter and so far it is like my favorite! Wanna know why?_

_Battles!_

_Wanna know what else?_

_ICE AND EARTH!_

_Which one will win? Who will lose? Who….will lose their life?_

_O…kay…pulling out of the dramatic speech there…heh heh…I also got an explosion from Lee, yet another chapter where we don't know who is Inuyasha's new brother (sorry bout that), and the one time where Kagome actually doesn't use her 'Sit' command!_

_Wow, that's a lot of stuff in one short chapter…maybe I should've made it longer…Too late now, I guess. :D_

_Read and enjoy! __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 26-

Moriko snatches Rin up off the ground and into her arms. The small girls gasps in surprise.

"Wha-?"

Moriko ducks quickly behind a tree and covers the small girl's mouth gently. She grabs the hand keeping her quiet and tugs unsuccessfully at it.

"Shh..." Moriko whispers in her ear. The morning had been great, calm peaceful, not a soul in sight. The mountain was, for now, safe for Lee to rest up in. And it would stay that way if she and Ryu had anything to say about it. Then all those things had changed.

The wind shifted directions, bringing with it a strange dangerous scent that she had caught a whiff of on Lee when she had returned from inside the mountain. She didn't know what it was, but she knew it was bad. Just the thought of it scent goose-bumps across her skin...in a non-thrilling way.

Now, here they are, hiding behind trees like cowards, but what else could they do. Whatever was approaching was way stronger than Moriko and she knew she couldn't protect Rin if it came to a fight. Something she is not looking forward to.

If hiding kept her butt alive, then so be it.

The sound of a great gust of wind blasts from somewhere near the river where she and Rin had been before, happily catching fish. Even though they are light and almost dead silent, Moriko picks up the sound of feet touching to the ground. There are three of them.

"Well, this place is rather plain. Are you sure it's here where you felt the aura? Naraku won't take kindly to unnecessary trips out in the open." A woman with a deep, rather bored, voice asks one of her companions.

"I felt it here not too long ago. A mass of demons had gathered here, drawn to some kind of much stronger aura. It was strong enough to match the demon who had attacked Naraku." The male voice answers, deep and cold as ice.

Moriko grinds her teeth together when she hears that dreaded name: Naraku.

"You mean Sesshomaru? There's not many with an aura as strong as his. Are you sure you weren't just daydreaming again, Gensoumaru?" The woman laughs lightly.

Taking a chance, Moriko moves slowly, glancing out around the tree. They're definitely Naraku's goons. A woman with white feathers in her dark brown hair and dressed in a purple and white kimono while holding a fan close to her face, a taller man oddly dressed-and looks-like Sesshomaru except his fur is replaced by black chains that glow a faded blackish purple while his eyes are an icy blue, and a young boy-the one she and Ryu had seen in the trees once a good time back while they had followed Koga and his pack. He dresses like a demon slayer, just like Sango.

She silently pulls back around the tree and glances down at Rin. She uncovers her mouth bit by bit and hold up a finger over her mouth. Rin nods.

"I do not dream. I was not made to dream. I know what I felt it is here." The Sesshomaru look-alike answers coolly at her.

"Okay, okay." The woman waves her fan in her face. "Well, while you're looking around her, Kohaku and I have some work that needs to be done. We'll come back and find you later."

"I will return on my own, Kagura. You and the boy will return to Naraku on your own." He calls after her as they both start to walk off. "I can also handle the spy on my own as well."

Moriko's eyes jolt open wider in shock.

Suddenly the tree breaks off above her, a chain ripping through it like a blade. She and Rin scream out into the splinters of wood that storm around them from the attack.

When it finally falls with a heavy thud onto the ground not three feet in front of the girls, Moriko picks her up once again and takes off, skipping across the rocks jutting out of the river across the surface.

"There's nowhere for you to run." He calls after them, swinging his chain at them again. Moriko skips away from it, barely dodging it in time, and lands carefully onto another rock nearby. She uses this moment to launch herself into the air and land on the bank they had been on for only a second.

"Rin, go back to the cave and tell Lee to stay hidden."

"But-!"

"No buts, just go!" She pushes the girls quickly into the bushes before leaping back out onto the water.

"Hey, you! You're one of Naraku's goons, right?" She calls back to the approaching demon.

"Goon isn't the word I'd use." He answers. "I am his creation."

"Soooo...you serve him right?" Moriko scratches her chin. "Well, that pretty much makes you a goon."

Gensoumaru attacks her again with the chains her carries and she dodges it right in the nick of time.

'I don't know if I'll make it out of this one. He's way too quick.' She thinks, racing across the rocks and returning farther down the river, leading him away from the mountain. Gensoumaru swings his chains again and the rock breaks like glass out from under her foot. She gets just enough of a lift off to dive under the water.

"Bad move." Gensoumaru chuckles darkly to himself. He steps onto the surface of the river and like magic, it turns to solid ice all the way in both directions as far as the eye can see.

Under the ice, Moriko hangs onto a rock while the soft current pulls at her hair. She stares up at the ice that blocks her passageway to air in horror.

'No! No, no, no, no, no!' She kicks off the rock and starts swimming down the stream with the current. She can hold her breath, but not forever.

* * *

Rin stumbles over another tree branch and then another, tears streaming down her face. She can't find her way back. The trees are too thick.

She glances around her again. She's lost.

"Lee..." She sobs weakly. "Lee, please...I don't want Mori to die...please..." She gets back up and starts stumbling around again. "No...Lee!"

Her scream echoes feebly against the tall oaks around her and bounce right back at her. "No!" She falls again. "LEE!"

"Rin!"

This time her screams are answered.

"Lee! Sister!"

The shadows give way and Rin races into Lee's arms.

"Rin, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Lee asks, holding her close. As the small child fights to regain her voice through her sobs, Inuyasha and his group, Sesshomaru, and Ryu all show up behind her.

"What's going on? Is she okay?" Sango asks.

Lee rubs her sister's head, waiting patiently for her to calm down. What has her so shaken?

"Mori...She..." Rin finally breaks.

Ryu leans down next to her. "Where is Moriko? Is she hurt?" His voice is demanding.

Lee glances at him, surprised. She's never heard him sound so worried before.

His deep blue eyes stare hard at Rin as she finally looks up out of her hug into Lee's chest. Her eyes are sad.

"What is it Rin? You have to tell us." Lee presses, the worry now getting to her as well.

"Where is she?" Ryu asks again.

"Some people showed up with that wind demon Kagura and attacked us. She left with some boy, but that other scary man stayed." Rin explains, wiping away her tears.

"Kagura!" Inuyasha growls.

"Some boy?"

"It can't be..." Sango cuts Miroku off.

"Sango, you and Miroku go after Kagura and Kohaku. We'll handle this other 'scary man'." Inuyasha tells them.

"Alright. Be careful." Sango pats Kirara on the neck and together they fly into the sky again.

"My question is: who is this 'scary man' person?" Kagome wonders.

"Who cares, let's just go. If he's with Kagura, then he's got to be with Naraku too." Inuyasha tells her.

Neither of them noticed Lee stand up, handing Rin to Ryu who takes her by the hand gently.

"Sister?" Rin asks, staring up worriedly into Lee's dark face.

She breathes a few dark breaths and then speaks, her voice heavy with anger. "Rin, stay with Sesshomaru."

"Lee, what-?"

Before Ryu can get the chance to say anything, Lee takes off into the woods, her nose searching wildly for Moriko's scent. The second she finds it, she turns quickly and heads for the river, finally hearing it's waters running nearby.

* * *

Moriko groans again, being careful not to let any of her oxygen leave her lungs. It's beginning to be a hassle not being able to breathe. She bangs on the ice again that had covered the rivers surface before she could make it here. He had forced her to let the waterfall take her down to the rough rapids below, but now she's caught in a small circle of rocks that help slow the current a bit. Every time she had tried to surface farther downstream, he had covered it with ice before she could reach it.

"There's nothing left to do, but let death take you child." She can hear Gensoumaru call to her from above. His voice sounds far off and muffled. "It will be painful, yes, but it will be quick."

Suddenly a spear of ice, breaks through the thick, icy surface and she dodges it before it can skewer her alive. Her back hits a boulder below her. The water is beginning to turn really cold now.

'What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?' She worries.

Her hand pushes against the mossy rock as she's about to head back up to the ice and try to break through it again, but then she remembers a very important detail about herself. She controls earth.

Swimming back down to the bottom of the river, she plants her hands against the boulder she had hit and concentrates, which isn't all that easy when you're running out of air.

'Earth below, hear my cry. Save me now, reach for the sky!' The charmed words she had always spoken to her element with, thunder through her mind and ripple through the icy water around her. The rock responds, coming alive and tearing easily through the water up towards the ice freezing the surface. She clings to it for dear life, letting it drag her along.

The rock breaks through and towers higher up until it drags Moriko five feet above the surface.

Gensoumaru dodges back as the rock breaks through the surface of his ice and he stares in shock as the soaking wet young woman lands on the ice that had survived the elemental attack.

"Pretty cool, huh? You're not the only one with magic." She coughs, breathing heavily with a grin.

"Impressive, but it won't help you if there's no earth around to save you." With a wave of his hand, his magic spreads out, covering the banks of the stream and all the grass and trees with a layer of thick ice nearly five inches thick.

The world left in its place is nothing like she's ever seen. It's no longer warm and alive. She can no longer feel the living breathing earth that she had held so close to her heart for so long.

"No..." She breathes in horror, backing away down the river away from him.

"You should have let death take you when you had the chance. Your aura would have fit in nicely with my collection." He smiles darkly, rubbing his hand across his stomach.

"Like I'd...ever let the likes of you...eat my soul!" She races off, using her toes to carry her across the ice down the river. She slips and slides crazily all over the place, but it helps her dodge the attacks he throws at her with his chains.

'Dear God, if I'm meant to die here, then please let this creep die with me.' She pleads in her mind.

Out in front of her, a rounded ice ramp shoots up, throwing her to her feet and sending her sliding right back at him. She looks around desperately for something, anything, to use against him, but there is nothing but ice covering the once thriving world around her. Up ahead, the ice covering the river ends, leaving fresh, still moving, water beating heavily in the rapids. She gets to her feet and dives towards it.

"Don't even think about it." Gensoumaru calls, throwing an ice spear at her.

It crashes into the exact place she was at before she slides off into the cold water below.

"Fool. You've only brought death closer to you." He shakes his head.

Down below, Moriko swims down to the bottom and plants her hands against the welcoming earth. The sight of it almost has her crying, but that's kind of hard to do underwater. Again she weaves her charmed words through her mind for the earth to hear.

'I call to you once again, my love. Create for me a safety from above.'

The earth responds to her situation and pulls her down, burrowing away from her and then closing her up inside a round sphere of thick rock that lays at the bottom of the river. Almost instantly, the water inside with her drains out and she breathes in the hot, heavy oxygen left behind. It's not the oxygen she'd like, but it's better than drowning to death.

Above, Gensoumaru leaps into the air and lifts both of his hands. The waters split apart by his magic, freezing solid with ice as they tumble over away from him. He lands of the bottom of the river, now empty of water. The river moans loudly in argument against the walls of ice her created, unable to continue on its course downstream.

His cold eyes stare in amusement at the makeshift sphere of earth that obviously wasn't made by the river. "I am honestly impressed by your skill young demon child, but you're only making this harder on yourself."

He throws a series of attacks at her, once again using his chains like whips that he has now covered in ice. The attacks slam hard against the rock sphere protecting the one inside. It holds strong, thundering and rumbling as each attack strikes it.

Inside, Moriko places her hands against the top of the sphere and pictures a light from inside her pouring into the rock around her as she chants. "You are strong. You cannot break. You are strong. You cannot break."

Her power leaves her body in a continuous stream, flowing into the earth guarding her and giving it strength. The earth seems to tremble in response to her help.

"Enough of this." Gensoumaru finally pulls back his chains, raising his hands, and sends a blast of cold, frosty air at the sphere. It swirls around it, covering it, engulfing it.

Slowly but surely the rocks turn white with frost, becoming colder with each passing second.

Inside, Moriko opens her eyes in horror and breathes out a frosty breath. Even the rocks within are becoming white!

Gensoumaru ends the icy wind and pulls out his chains once more. "One strike should be enough." He tells himself. He pulls back the chain, now glowing the same icy blue as his eyes, and he brings it down on the sphere. "Tiger Break!"

The attack hits dead on, splitting the rock sphere in two halves and sending Moriko crashing into the river bottom heavily. Her scream chokes out of her, breaking at the end.

A loud roar pierces the skies, grabbing Gensoumaru's attention. He looks up just as a white and blue dragon lands and curls up defensively around Moriko's shaking form. It bares its fangs at him and lets out a snarl. Gensoumaru is about to attack once more, but the sound of a large groups approaching stops him. He gets a taste of the aura he had become deathly attached to.

"Lee." He whispers under his breath.

Taking one last look at his opponents, he waves his hand. His chains wrap around his body tightly as a blast of icy fog does the same and he disappears.

"Moriko! Ryu!" Lee calls, finally racing out of the trees. She stumbles to a stop quickly and glances around in amazement as the ice covering the river and the rest of the world around them vanishes like fog. "Wow."

"Moriko. Moriko!"

She turns back to the river edge where Ryu had brought Moriko's limp form. He holds her carefully in his arms as he says her name over and over. The front of her kimono is torn open and her legs and arms are scratched up, but there's nothing serious. Her face and body are pale and a light blue color as if she'd been locked in a freezer.

Lee drops down to her friends other side and grabs her hand. Her skin is cold.

"Ryu, let her go."

"No, she's not dead!" Her growls at her.

"I know she's not! I have to warm her up now or she will be!" She snaps back at him. He jerks back, glances hesitantly down at Moriko for a split second, and then slowly lays her back down of the ground. Inuyasha and the rest finally come through the trees. Sesshomaru and Rin follow after them.

Ryu takes a few steps back so that Lee can have some space to work.

Closing her eyes, she uses the only knowledge she has that can help her. Kiyoshi had taught her this technique but told her only to use it in dire emergencies.

'_This is an emergency, Kiyoshi._' Lee sighs.

Drawing on her fire, she uses it's heat, it's life energy, and lets it fill her up. A bright red light begins to circle around her, swallowing her up and then expanding over her to cover Moriko's entire body as well.

The only danger to this technique is if you lose she loses her concentration, the energy could explode into fire and burn her friend alive.

Pretty soon the warmth returns to Moriko's body and her fingers twitch.

Lee draws the energy back inside her and the red glow dies away. She stares down at her. Gradually, Moriko opens her eyes again.

"Hey, kid. How ya feeling?" Lee smiles.

Moriko turns to look at her and then smiles as well. "As strong as a rock."

"Glad to hear it." From nearby, Lee can hear Ryu sigh in relief.

* * *

"Ugh! Is it ready yet? I'm starving!" Moriko complains yet again from nearby, allowing Kagome to take care of the cuts of her arms and legs aft they had a heated argument about her injuries. She had told Kagome that she'd be back to normal in an hour or two, but Kagome insisted, so she gave in.

"It'll be ready when it's ready. They can't cook any faster." Lee repeats once more.

"You're kidding me right? You can control fire and you're telling me that you can't cook them any faster?" Moriko groans.

This causes Lee to snap and like a firework, the fire they had started to cook the fish explodes and engulfs the single fish that was intended for Moriko. She snaps her fingers and the fire dies back down. Lee lifts the charred fish and hands it over to her friend.

"Fine. Would you like it burnt or ashy?" She grins through her annoyance.

Moriko glances from the fish to Lee then back at the fish. "Uh...you know, now that you mentioned it...I'm not really that hungry, but...uh...thanks for the offer." She grins sheepishly.

"Brat." Lee growls, tossing the remains of the fish into the fire and then going back to her seat near Rin and Sesshomaru. Rin sits back in front of her, climbing once again into her lap, and hold up the unfinished braid. Lee takes it and gets back to work, threading some of the local yellow daisies into her hair with it. Rin sits patiently as she works, doodling in the dirt with a twig.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, something comes tumbling out of the woods.

"Agh! Lord Sesshomaru! Rin-!" Jaken, covered in bruises and cuts from stumbling around in the woods, falls over onto the ground, his staff landing beside him.

"Master Jaken, are you okay?" Rin laughs. "You missed all the excitement."

"Where were you all this time?" Lee smiles her greeting.

Jaken looks up but freezes to a halt when he locks eyes with a glaring Sesshomaru. He practically shrinks down in size.

Lee nudges Sesshomaru hard. "Leave him alone and go easy on him. These woods are hard to navigate if you've never been here before. I remember when we got lost..." Lee trails off, both Moriko and Ryu staring off into space with her. After a long pause, they all come back to the present, shivering with disgust in union.

Everyone laughs, except for Jaken and Sesshomaru obviously, and pretty soon they pass around breakfast for everyone. When their bellies are full and Moriko taken care of, Kagome finally starts the real conversation.

"Okay. Now we need to get down to business." She claps her hands together to get everyone's attention. "Naraku has gone back into hiding like a coward, probably to regain his strength, after the damage Sesshomaru dealt him."

"Excuse me! I helped. He didn't do hardly anything!" Inuyasha cuts her off.

Lee glances sideways worriedly. Sesshomaru stirs, his face going dark. "Okay, yes. We all know that everyone took part in that battle, so you don't have to make it a big deal." She waves her hand at her brother.

"I can't believe this! The only thing he did was shred the guy up and made him run before I could finish him up!"

"Inuyasha..." Lee warns him glancing at Sesshomaru again.

The dog demon in question stands up slowly and Lee leaps to her feet quickly.

"Calm down. There's no need to get all worked up." She chuckles weakly, trying to keep the rising tension to a minimum. She's surprised they've been able to tolerate each other's presence this long.

Inuyasha draws his sword and it transforms in his hand as he takes a few steps towards the river. "You wanna go a few rounds? Alright. I've been wanting to kick your butt lately."

Sesshomaru glares at him for a long moment before he to draws his sword.

Lee quickly steps in between them. "Stop this, you guys! It's madness!"

'_Now I know why my mom always told me not to get in the middle of two fighting dogs._' She thinks to herself.

"Move." Sesshomaru tells her, keeping his glare glued to Inuyasha. "This half-breed needs to learn his place."

"Alright, bring it!"

Lee turns to stone again, her anger getting the best of her. Nearby the fire swirls and goes out like a candle in the wind.

"Uh-oh." Moriko sighs, watching the fire with amusement.

"This ought to be good." Ryu adds, grinning from ear to ear.

"Come, if you wish to die." Sesshomaru raises his sword.

"Fine, but it's your funeral!" Inuyasha races forward, lifting his sword into the air.

"Lee, move!" Kagome yells.

The young woman is still standing like a statue in the middle of them, each arm raised towards one of the brothers. No one can see the swirling energy building up around her feet until-

"_**SHUT! UP!**_" Lee yells, her voice magnified by her power and fire explodes around her with great heat. Both of the brothers are caught up in it, but the fire isn't meant to cause damage. Lee is holding that form of the attack back. The fire she releases now is more of just an angry flame.

As it dissipates, Inuyasha is busy coughing up a storm while his sword lies on the ground by his feet and Sesshomaru is carefully brushing off the smoky coot that has settled on his sleeves.

"Men." Lee groans. Spinning on her heel, she waltzes over to her weapon on the ground and picks it up, swiftly swinging it over her shoulder and hanging it on the hook on her armor. "Kagome is right. Naraku was definitely knocked back a day in his plans because of our attack, but I got a bad feeling that it's only going to get worse now. Moriko, I hate to say this, but you're going to go with Ryu and head into the deep southern mountains."

"What? Why?" She starts to argue.

"Because when I took Aki and a few others there for training with a guru hermit, he had some really good information and stories that may prove helpful in the future. Ryu, you came with us then right?" Lee turns to her other companion next.

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about."

"Good, then you'll know what to ask him about, but I'll send a few more questions along with you that I'm sure he'll be able to answer. While you're there, see if he'll teach Mori that attack he showed us."

"Oh, yeah, the 'Shish Kabob'!" Ryu exclaims.

"The Shish Ka-wha?" Moriko glances at him in confusion.

"He'll show you. Trust me, you'll love him." Ryu grins.

"Alright, Kagome, where are you guys headed next?" Lee then turns to her other friends.

"Um...I'm not really sure. We don't really have any real leads so we'll probably travel to the next village and see if anyone has seen anything suspicious. Right, Sango?"

"Yes, the next village close to here is actually a big sized one. They have a princess there and everything." Sango nods, stroking Kirara who snuggles soundly in her lap.

"Okay, well, I'll try to meet up with you guys soon and we'll see what we all get. Sesshomaru, where are you headed?" Lee finally turns to her family.

He doesn't answer at first. "West."

"Yes, the people there will surely know something about Naraku's movements, my Lord." Jaken nods his agreement.

"But, sister, you're not coming with us?" Rin asks, twiddling with the flowers in her hair and staring at the ground sadly.

Lee goes to squat down in front of her so that she's the at the girl's level. "I can't this time, but I'll come back soon. I have to the ash lands and talk to someone there first and then I'll come to you."

"Promise?" Rin smiles happily.

"Promise."

"Why don't you just take her with you?" Jaken asks.

Lee and Sesshomaru glare at him and again he shrinks in size.

"Because it's ash lands. The last time I went there, _I_ could barely breathe, so imagine how hard it would be for a human. Secondly, she'd be much safer with you and Sesshomaru because right now, I don't think I could protect her." Lee takes Rin by the hands and pulls her into her arms as she climbs to her feet; hugging her close.

Sesshomaru watches the two, hugging each other as if they'll never see each other again. Personally he doesn't want them to be separated again, but he knows as well as Lee that Rin would be safer in his care than in hers while she went to a dangerous place like the ash lands. They release each other and Rin goes to climb up on Aun's back. Lee rubs the beast's two noses in turn.

"You take care of her for me too okay?" She tells the beast. The dragon bows it's head in response.

"Alright, we'll see...whoever we see first whenever we see them." Kagome laughs as she waves goodbye to them all. Inuyasha takes off with her on his back, while Sango and Miroku fly off on Kirara's back. Moriko tries on last time to argue against leaving Lee alone, but she eventually gets a fire ball hurled at her and willingly leaves on Ryu's dragon form after she gives him the questions she wanted answered privately.

Sesshomaru is the last to leave, but not before she can hug them all once, Jaken fought against her stubbornly, and then watching then disappear into the trees. Her heart finally sinks to her stomach. She's tired of watching her heart vanish away from her.

Sesshomaru had given her a long, very silent, stare before he walked off and Rin stared at her with a sadness that was both light and heavy. She'd see her sister again, but it would be better if they didn't have to continuously separate all the time.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Lee finds her center again and turns to the east. Beyond that horizon is the ash lands. A long line of volcanoes under the ground that continuously spit up lava and ash and…God knows what else. There is where she would find the only one who could help her.

Loki.

* * *

_Woot! How was that? Cool huh? Well, I thought it was cool, but hey, that's all that counts! :D_

_Thanks again to all the people who faved, alerted, and at least read this story. You guys are awesome! _

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __**review!**_ _**(Please, they are welcomed!)**_


	27. Chapter 27

_Wow, new chapter update already. Bleh!_

_Okay, so here in this chapter, we have yet another new character that will have a few chapters to himself, but trust me he won't be in the story line for long. Loki is the only quick name I could come with on the spot, but the character in this story is nothing like the trickster everyone thinks, so please don't get the wrong idea. There's a twist on the guy I can tell you that._

_Also in this chapter, there are many more illusions for Lee to face, more confusion for her to sort though and some more Gensoumaru drama as he pulls a move that not even I could see til the second I wrote it! Now that's saying something! Haha!_

_I love torturing my characters…hee hee hee._

_Read and enjoy! __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 27-

"Loki?" Moriko asks as they fly through the sky. She's still in confused at how Ryu can speak in his dragon form, but right now this 'Loki' person has more of her interest.

"Yeah. I heard about him from Kiyoshi a long time ago during one of my training sessions. According to her, he's the 'master of the flame'…or close to it. He used to be a human man, but he supposedly died in a fire and returned to life as a fire being, made of complete fire himself. He's supposed to be a very dangerous and powerful being that guards the ash lands, using these strange creatures made from the ash to keep outsiders away. Many have gone to him in search of training, but none have ever made it past his army." Ryu explains.

"WHAT? Are you serious? She's going to a death trap like that? Why?" Moriko moans in annoyance and falls onto her stomach, letting her arms and legs dangle off into the air on either side the dragon's body.

"Keep doing that and you'll fall. Kiyoshi told me that only those who know fire can enter."

"But Lee only controls fire. It's an element. Unless you're born with it, you can't really know it. I know from experience here." She growls.

"I understand and trust me, I don't get it either, but Kiyoshi told me that Lee's demon side was born with it. She is more in tune with it than she knows…whatever that means."

They fly on in silence. The sound of the billowing wind booms around them and pulls at Moriko's hair and Ryu's blue mane playfully.

"Well," Moriko starts up once again, "Let's get started digging her grave."

"Mori." Ryu shakes his head.

* * *

Days have gone by since they had all split up and yet she's still wondering around in confusion.

"Darn it, Kiyoshi! Why couldn't you draw a decent map?" Lee grumbles, flipping the parchment over and over in her hands and then glancing around in opposite directions. "I shoulda been there by now."

Her feet balance her body weight carefully on the three inch wide spike she stands on at the tip top of the mountain she had climbed. From this height she can see better and get a good feel of where she at. Of course she wouldn't need to if she had a proper map.

"Gaa!" She stuff the map into a ball and back into her pouch around her waist. Kagome had given it to her before they had parted last. It doesn't really fit in with this era, but it was waterproof and held up a lot better than some of the bags people make in this day in age. "I give up!"

"Giving up is for quitters."

Lee glances around quickly. "Huh? Who was that?"

"The question is: who are you?" The funny voice says again.

'_It sounds like a monkey voice…if they had voices._' Lee smiles. "Great so know I'm going to get some wise gorilla to show me the way outta here." Her laughter echoes around her.

"That all depends on where it is you are seeking." The voice copies her and starts to laugh too.

"Okay." Lee rolls her eyes. "I'm looking for the quickest way to the ash lands."

"This way, that way. It is all the same. You should spend less time looking and more time walking."

Lee raises an eyebrow. "You lost me."

The laughter turns into hysteria and Lee finally turns to look at the tall spike of her right. There, balanced on it is a monkey wearing a monk outfit and balanced of his tail while he covers his mouth to muffle his laugh.

"Okay, when I said gorilla, it was a joke." Lee stares at the monkey in surprise and shock. "Talk about your Disney movie moment."

"So," The monkey flips over and balances on his left hand, raising the rest of his body into the air like he's doing a one handed head stand, "You wish to see Loki, the fire being."

His blunt statement has her wondering if she had spoken out loud to herself again while she was traveling up here. She doesn't remember saying anything about her plans outside of her head.

"Your plans are written square across your face. You are an easy person to read. Let your mind be at rest and no one will ever see." He closes his eyes and his face becomes a blank slate.

"Yeah, I'll work on that, Mr. Monkey, now about those directions-."

"You must travel where the sun doesn't need to shine. The light is blinding and hot, but it is not from the sun's hands."

"Aaand…you lost me again." Lee throws her hands up into the air. "Can you please just tell me how to get there without all the fortune cookie talk?"

"Riddles help the mind."

"My mind is confused enough as it is." She retorts.

He laughs again, flipping over to balance on his foot. "With your mind in a state of confusion, it will be much easier to see through the fog."

"Are you trying to say I'm stupid?" Lee crosses her arms.

"No, you are not dumb, but your knowledge is. Beyond here are the trees with eyes. The fog knows all and sees all. If your mind is not calm it will know why you want to pass and stop you. The fire being doesn't want that at all."

Lee stares down the side of the mountain range. Far, far, far below is a thick layer of fog covering a world unseen to her eyes. A swamp. Everyone's been to a swamp. How can trees even see in the first place? The fog's thicker than pea soup. She shakes her head. "So all that talk about 'keeping my mind at ease or people will see' was you trying to say that getting through that place is the only quickest was to get to the ash lands?"

"Yes."

"And you couldn't just say that?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Why not?" He shrugs, bursting into hysteria.

"Ugh! This is such a pain. Goodbye." She about to jump down and start on her way again, but the monkey stops her.

"Be wary of the Kemuri."

"The Ke-whatta?" She asks.

"The Kemuri. He will send them to test you." The monkeys face has become serious and stern. "Keep your mind clear and open on your journey, Kasei."

"Kasei?"

"It means Fire Born." He bows respectfully to her, his hands folded in the traditional style, tucked into the sleeves. A bow only used towards great masters.

'_I ain't no master. And I wasn't born with fire._' Lee thinks to herself, masking her sadness. "Thank you."

With one last smile, she leaps down the mountain, leaving the wise (or maybe just crazy) monkey monk behind.

The monkey watches her go, returning to balance on his tail. From behind him, a small red stone with intricate gold designs on it, comes flying up and floats by him near his ear.

"Yes." He answers its silent unheard question. "The pieces are falling into place. Her journey has started."

* * *

Her feet land once again in the mud and she groans. With a sharp tug, she pulls feet free and climbs up on the damp logs and tree roots crawling along the forest floor. Everywhere she turns, it's always trees, fog, slime, and muddy water. Not exactly one of her top ten favorite places. The trees here are taller than the skyscrapers back in her own time; or close to it. They tower over her, blocking out the sun's effort to reach the earth below them.

"It smells like muck down here. And I don't even know what muck is." She pinches her nose as she continues on.

"Muck, muck. Muck. Muck, muck. Muck."

"Wagh!" She jumps and jerks her eyes to the mocking deep voices around her. Below, bouncing around on the giant lily pads and strange looking frog-like creatures. Every time they croak the work 'muck' comes out instead of 'croak'. She sighs and relaxes once more. "Geez, I wonder if they know the way around here."

She turns to face them fully. "Do you guys talk?"

"Talk, talk. Talk. Talk, talk. Talk." They croak in union.

"Apparently not." Her eyes narrow and she continues on, squeezing through trees, jumping across large gaps over water, and using vines to climb up to higher areas. "I'm lost again. No doubt about it." Lee puts her hands on her hips and huffs in irritation. She looks around for something she _hasn't_ seen, but it all looks completely the same: tree, fog, slime, and muddy water. "Well, it's not much of a grave, but I guess it'll do." She sits down on the tree root and lays back, folding her arms behind her head and staring up into the tree canopy above her.

'_I wonder if that old monkey dude would show up again if I called…Nah._' She closes her eyes and decides to take a short nap.

Obviously she's going to dream of trees. Heck she's surrounded by them. What else could she dream about? Fog? Slime? Muddy water? Don't worry; they're all in the dream too.

The only difference is this time, everything is touched with a very familiar color. One she can't quite put her finger on. The name of it is right on the tip of her tongue, but she just can't quite name it. She's standing on the tree branch where she had fallen asleep (or so she thinks) and she feels like she's floating in the air, kind of bouncy as if she's on the moon. Twinkling lights of that unnamed, familiar color, come to playfully swirl around her and then fly off towards the water. With a soft, carefree, laugh, she jumps off the root and floats lightly down towards the water to follow them. She's expecting her feet to sink into the muddy water, but she lands delicately on top of it; ripples beating away from her toes.

"_Cool._" She laughs. She feels that lightness feeling again and those little fireflies come to dance around her again. They laugh with the voices of little children.

_Come play with us._

She watches them fly off ahead of her again and decides what the heck. She runs after them, her toes barely touching the surface of the water as she bounces across it, untouched by gravity. A few of the fireflies grasp gently onto her kimono and tug softly with those laughing child-like voices.

They lead her on into the forest and down the water way, ducking under tree roots that have lifted the trees into the air, and down little waterfalls that seem to sing. As they travel on, she notices that the sun starts to reach the forest floor and hit the water around her, creating nature-made spot lights for her to run through. The sunlight bounces off her white kimono, shattering the light for a fraction of a second everywhere around her, making that color she can't name brighter and much more vibrant.

The fireflies finally lead her up a bank and into a small grove of trees where she stops short in awe. The trees here bend and grow as if threaded by magic, weaving in and out of each other and closing the small grove off completely away from the world. Flowers, tinted in the unnamed color bloom everywhere and a few of the petals fall from somewhere high above her, but she can't see from where because of the light shining down at her. This light is that same color too. Right about now she's scrambling her brain trying hard to figure out the name of the color. It's beautiful, bright, and dazzling.

It makes goose bumps race across her body where it touches her skin.

The small little fireflies dance and swirl around her like small versions of that light, singing happily in their childish voices. She wonders how they can talk for a second, but then remembers that she's dreaming. Everything is off in a dream.

_Play with us!_

"_Okay. What do you want to play?_" She laughs.

They leap with excitement.

_We want to play hide and seek._

"_In here? There's not anywhere to hide._"

_You will hide._

"_Okay, but where._"

_Here._

This confuses her. If she hid here, they would know where she was. How is that a game of hide and seek? Then again, they're fireflies. How much could they know?

"_I don't think that game would get very far._"

_We will hide here with you._

"_Huh?_"

_Hide here with us. We must hide from him._

"_Him?_" Lee asks.

_Loki._

"_Loki? Why hide from him?_"

_He burns our home._ One firefly sobs.

_He attacks our trees._ Another cries.

"_That…_" Lee shakes her head. "_That can't be right._"

The fireflies slow their dance until they swirl slowly around her body, almost like they're embracing her.

_While we hide…_

_Let's play dress up._

Lee nearly chuckles at their innocent change in subject. They don't sound as frightened as they had before.

"_Okay, I guess that sounds like fun._" She smiles.

As if her words flipped a switch, the fireflies start to spin around her dizzily and excitedly. Their child-like voices laugh and giggle together. Their color, the one she can't name, changes. It becomes brighter as they hug closer and closer to her body, covering her completely. In a flash, she closes her eyes against their brightness and to wait out their magic. As soon as it had started, the light goes away and she looks down at herself. Her jaw falls open.

She's dressed in her old kimono.

The one Sesshomaru had first bought her; the blue one with the white wrap. She hasn't seen it in so long that she's forgotten what it looked like.

_Pretty._ The fireflies giggle. _But it doesn't suit you as well as this._

Lee breathes a sigh, wishing that they wouldn't change her outfit. It brings back a lot of good memories. Sadly, they do, swirling around her until that blinding light covers her again. She closes her eyes for only a second this time.

This time, the outfit is beyond what she expects. It's a blur to her eyes; she can't see it very clearly. It's almost like it's not meant for her to see. She can tell though that it's black with just a little bit of purple mixed in.

'_What the…?_' She thinks.

The fireflies move again and cover her once more. This time to light is softer, gentle.

When it fades, her blood runs cold.

It's the princess dress that Gensoumaru had prepared for her and the one she wore back at the mountain. Her jaw locks angrily.

_Do you not like it?_ The fireflies ask.

That's when it finally hits her. The color. The one she hadn't been able to recognize until now.

It's blue.

Icy blue.

"_It still fits you perfectly. You are a princess whether you want to believe me or not because in my eyes you are._"

The voice makes her already cold blood turn into solid ice in a second. She spins around, a death glare planted securely on her face. There's no one around her, so where did the voice come from? Again she spins around, tossing the fireflies away from her in a flurry; their child voices gasping in confusion.

'_Where is he?_' She growls to herself. The dress flows with her like silk, swaying with her movements. It brushes against her ankles gently, softer than the touch of air on her skin.

"_Why are you hiding?_" She snaps. The air around her shifts and turns cold.

"_I would never hide from you. It is you who does not wish to see me._" His voice answers her, echoing from all directions around her.

For a dream, this sure is weird. Lee shakes her head, reaching up to pinch the skin on the back of her hand. Maybe if she wakes herself up, she won't have to deal with this.

"_Do not!_" Something invisible grabs her hand to stop her. It feels just like his cold skin, but it's not there. She can see where something is holding onto her hand, wrapping around her wrist, but there's nothing solid there that she can see.

She jerks away, pulling free from the cold grasp.

"_Don't what? Why would I want to stay around someone like you? Even if I can't see you!_" Lee demands.

"_You cannot see me because you do not want to._" He replies.

"_You have no idea how much I __**want**__ to see you right now! You attacked my friend and left her for dead! You have no idea how badly I want to kick your butt right now!_" She growls.

His laughter sends bright waves of pure raging heat through her body. Anger builds in her veins, melting the ice and replacing it with venom.

"_She was keeping you from me. I will not allow anyone to keep me away from what I want._" His words hit her suddenly and something stirs in her memory. Hadn't she heard those words somewhere before? It was back when her soul had shattered and when she was lost in the sadness of her breaking heart. Words had reached her through all the chaos inside of her that had slowly ate away at her soul until it was nearly destroyed.

It was Sesshomaru who had said it. "_I will have what I want._"

She remembers now. She'll never forget those words.

"_You smile. Are my words finally reaching you?_"

"_No. __**His**__ words are reaching me, even after all this time. Yours never will. You trick people and mess with their hearts. He doesn't. He just doesn't know how to voice his emotions._"

"_Then he does not love you enough. If he really did, he would do whatever you asked._" He replies quickly, a brush of wind swirling her hair and sending a cold icy touch combing across the back of her neck softly.

Her smile widens. "_He does. He may not want to tell me that he does and he may not realize that he loves me yet, but I do know he cares about me._"

He laughs, but she can hear the unease behind it along with something else. "_And how do you know that?_"

"_He 'Submitted' to me not two days ago._" She smiles wider.

The wind dies around her and the fireflies vanish, revealing long faded black chains that swirl around her and hover in the air. She shifts her eyes around slowly, looking for him. He has to be around here somewhere.

"'_Submitted', huh? I see. Is that what you need?_"

This throws her a little and her guard shoots back up again.

Something comes up behind her, but she's not going to let her fear of him control her. She keeps her back straight and holds her head high. Something, invisible yet again, wraps around her arm; feeling strangely like a hand…a very cold hand. She pulls her elbow away sternly.

"_Tell me what you want them. Tell me how I can prove myself to you._"

"_You can't. You're evil. You are Naraku's incarnation and you'll always be like him no matter what. I don't want that._" She cuts him off quickly.

He doesn't answer right away. The long pause has her wondering if he left her alone finally, but she knows he wouldn't give up that easily.

"_If I was truly evil as you say, your friend would not be alive._" He whispers in her ear. "_If I were evil, you would have died by my hand back out that cursed mountain._" He adds, an icy touch brushing down her neck. "_If I were evil, you would not be standing here in my presence…alive._" His voice takes on a tone so serious that a straight up feeling of death and dread run down her spin and make her shiver, but she keeps her compose, releasing a foggy breath. "_You are wrong about me, my dear. I do not think my heart would allow me to kill you. Even if my life depended on it, I do not know if I could kill you. It would go against my very soul._"

"_Soul? Heart? You talk as if you have them._" Lee smiles sarcastically.

"_Naraku saw to that. He gave me both. I am capable to make my own decisions and actions, but there is one thing I do not have that Naraku holds prisoner from me._" He continues.

"_And what would that be?_" She asks, genuinely curious.

"_My freedom. My will belongs to him. If I do anything against him, he will kill me. He does not need a heart or a soul alone to do that. He has learned far greater ways to control people._"

Something about his words has her heart aching. He can't be serious, but he sounds like he is. Her smile falls clean off his face.

"_How? How does he control people? Where is he keeping prisoners?_" Lee presses.

"_That…I do not know._"

"_You lie._" She lowers her voice back down and raises her defenses again.

"_I would never lie to you, love. I just…cannot tell you the truth either._" He whispers. Already, she can feel his breath against her neck.

She doesn't know what to think or to say to that. She's definitely not buying it.

"_Say my name._"

"_Why?_" She shrugs.

"_You wish to see me, do you not?_"

"_No._" She spits out a dry cough.

"_So you say. Deep down, you want to see me and you know it._"

"_Oh, yeah, I want to see you…_" She rolls her eyes. "_Dead._"

"_Yes, but deep down, farther beyond that, your soul wants to see me._" He says; she can practically see his smile. That smile, the one she fell for once, the one she'll fall for again. What is it about him that holds her? Why does her soul seem to be drawn to him?

Again a faint brush of icy wind and touch presses against her neck right under her jaw and then it travels down the side of her neck, around her shoulder and across her collar bone, sweeping aside the edge of her kimono enough to bare a bit more of her chest. Sure enough, deep down inside of her, she can feel her heart beat a bit faster, almost as if its crying something.

_Gensoumaru…_

"_All you have to do is say my name. For you, I will make this dream a reality._" His voice comes again, lowering to a whisper in her ear so that his cold breath grazes across her skin, leaving a blazing cold trail in its wake.

Against her will, her voice, fueled by her soul no doubt, her voice whispers her response. "_Gensoumaru…_"

He hums, his mouth touching her neck so that she can feel him smile, and his fulfillment all but pours off him in swells.

A great flash of icy blue light becomes brighter and brighter until she is forced to close her eyes against it, squeezing them shut. It heats her up just as her fire usually does when she's mad, but this light is different. It almost seems to have substance, swirling around her, touching her arms, embracing her shoulders, and combing through her hair. She opens her eyes slowly, blinking crazily until her eyes adjust to the dying light. It finally fades and she's able to look around. She's back where she had fallen asleep, still lying on the ground. Sitting up, she looks around, her eyes shifting everywhere nervously.

'_Had all that really just happened? Did I really just fall for the bad guy…__**again**__?_' Lee thinks, shaking her head angrily.

What is wrong with her?

"There is nothing wrong with you, my Lee. You simply listened to what your soul wanted." His voice, so real this time, calls to her from the shadows behind her. She turns around, her soul in question burning to life within her at the sound of his voice.

He glides like silk out of the shadows, his white kimono waving in the slight breeze, those faded black chains falling from their hover around him to rest at his sides. His silver hair swirls around him, spiraling around in the breeze. His cold eyes aren't as distant as they were last time she saw him in her dreams. They sparkle in the dim light and almost seem kind.

She takes a deep, slow inhale, measuring her emotions. She's really not sure if she should trust him, but now that he's here she can't exactly disappear. Running away from her problems isn't going to help her. She needs to face them head on.

"You called my name." He smiles gently.

"Only cause I need the truth from you and I don't want any beating around the bush. Just answer my question and tell me what I want to know." Lee cuts up his hope before it can build up into his eyes. She knows deep down that she's drawn to him somehow, but she knows for a fact that she has no trust in him. He's with Naraku and, even though he said he wasn't evil, nothing will change that.

He folds his fist across his chest and bows to her from his waist. "I will tell you as much as I am allowed. Anything you wish to know, please tell me."

He doesn't stand up from his bow so she knows he's waiting for her to reply. "Why did you attack and nearly kill Moriko? Where is Naraku? What is he planning and why didn't he die when Sesshomaru sliced him up?"

Keeping her questions blunt and to the point, she throws them at him without any hesitation. He flinches slightly when she says Sesshomaru's name, but other than that, his composure remains steady as a rock.

"I attacked your friend mostly because I knew she was keeping me from you. I was not going to kill her, please understand that. I knew if I did that it would cause you pain and I did not want that for you." He glances up at her through his long silver bangs.

She narrows her eyes more, keeping her expression blank.

He keeps his stare connected solidly with hers. "Naraku…is not far from here actually, but…I cannot tell you much more than that. He is, as you are, searching for the jewel shards, but I can tell you that he said something about it being the last one. He also said something about where it was. As for why he did not die when your…obsession…attack him, I am not too sure."

"His name is Sesshomaru and why don't you know about why Naraku won't die." Lee's eyes narrow more, getting close to becoming a glare.

"I just know that he is now…heartless."

"Heartless?" Her eyes pop open as wide as nature would allow them to go and her jaw drops along with her arms. Her mind starts to race in a hurry, filling with worry, confusion, and downright frustration. She starts to rock back and forth from one foot to another, running her fingers through her hair and gripping it tightly until it pulls at the roots. She finally runs out of patience and begins to pace back and forth.

Gensoumaru follows her with his eyes while she paces. In the end, he stands up fully, takes a quick stride forward, and grabs her by the arms.

"Calm down, please." He tells her.

"Calm down? Are you serious? How can I calm down when I was just told that my enemy can't die? How can I be calm at a time like this?" She growls, her breathing getting heavier. She tries to pull out of his grasp and start pacing again, but he holds her still.

"Enough, my Lee. It will all work out."

"Wait, aren't you on his side? Why are you trying to comfort me?"

"My existence, everything I am, belongs to you. I will fight with you where I can and then I will find away to break from Naraku so that I can truly help you defeat him. Right now, I am at best use in his grasp. That way I can give you as much information that I can."

Lee gives him a skeptical look, narrowing her eyes again, and then glancing at his hands still grasping her shoulders gently. He glances at his hands too but only questioningly.

'_Wow, he's so different from Sesshomaru. Where he acts tough and distant, Gensoumaru is strong and open. Talk about two different worlds._' She thinks.

"Yet you still won't choose the world I offer you." He smiles.

"Agh! I forgot you can read minds! You do know that's rude right?" Lee retorts.

"If you do not wish for me to read your mind, then I will not. It is the only way I can know how you feel now since you distanced yourself from me." He releases her shoulders and stands back up to his full height with a sad smile.

"Then I don't want you to read my mind anymore. If I can't read yours then it sure ain't fair for you to read mine." She crosses her arms stubbornly and glares off at a nearby tree.

"Would you like to learn?" His eyes light up again.

"Eh?" She returns her gaze to his again, her interest peaking. "Wait you can teach that? No!" She throws her hands up to stop herself. "No, no, no! It's wrong an totally rude. No, forget it."

A long pause between them is filled with those mimicking croaks from those demon frogs.

"But you could seriously teach that?" She turns back around, innocently. She just has to know.

He smiles. "Yes. I could teach you a lot of things. All you have to do is ask." Again he bows his head to her.

She chews on her lips for a second and then catches on to his trick. "You're just saying that so that I'll like you a bit more."

"Do you blame me?" He raises an eye brow. "But besides that, yes, I could teach you but the skill is very hard to learn. I was made with the skill so it only comes naturally to me. Just as your fire does for you." He explains.

"Hmm." She gives that some thought. "Well, it's alright anyway. I don't want to learn it. But you can help me with something else entirely."

"Give me your wish."

"Show me the way out of here." It's her turn to raise her eye brow.

He opens his eyes to gaze weakly at her and then shifts that uneasy glance somewhere else.

"Let me guess, you can't show me the way out of here because Naraku told you to stop me." Lee groans, rolling her eyes.

"Yes. I would show you the way out of here in a second, but he would kill me for sure." He tells her. "Unless…you want me dead that badly."

"Would you get yourself killed for me?" Lee asks, crossing her arms again.

"I would do anything for you and you know that…but…"

"I knew it." Lee mumbles with a shake of her head.

"I would be leaving you behind for your…'obsession' to have and I don't want that. He doesn't deserve you and I will not die until I prove that to you." He grins, that dark gleam returning to those icy blue eyes of his.

"His. Name. Is. Sesshomaru." She retorts, pronouncing each word clearly as if he's deaf.

"I could care less." He takes a step towards her and towers over her, casting a shadow over her face. "I will still not rest until you see that I **am** what you want most; what your soul truly desires."

Lee takes a shaky step back, that weakness from just looking too long in his eyes rushing through her body and straight to her knees. "Sadly for you, I don't run off hormones and desires. I want a heart and love. My soul has nothing to do with it."

"I want the same thing for you and for myself. I told you before remember?" He starts to circle her, lowering his voice so that it's only a whisper against her skin. "If I didn't love you, you would be dead. I would never hurt you. I'd sooner throw myself into the flames of the hell before I do such a vile act."

Lee tries her best to cover up the shiver that racks her body, but it escapes before she can rein it in. His hands respond again to the cry that escapes from her soul and come to rest on her shoulders, his thumbs brushing up along her neck against her bare skin. Her soul only cries louder.

"You can hear how it screams for me. I know you can." He whispers in her ear.

"It's not my heart though. It has been taken."

"It does not scream for me now, because it does not know me, but soon it will. I will steal it back." He answers, breathing into her hair and burying his face into her ponytail and then at the nape of her neck.

She sighs, ready to let the weakness take hold, but then her mind corrects her. '_Don't!_'

She pushes away from him and spins to face him, narrowing her eyes.

He stares back, a slight smile of amusement gracing his face.

'_He just loves toying with me._'

"No, my dear, never toy. Just and only ever the truth." He takes a step closer to her, lowering to one knee before her. Something, deep inside her heart, quivers with fear.

Her 'Submitted' bond with Sesshomaru.

He takes her by the hand and presses his cold, soft lips to her fingers.

'_This can't be good._' She thinks, her eyes widening in horror, but her soul leaping and screaming louder with anticipation.

* * *

_Sooooo…I know I stopped this on a really bad cliff hanger, but I need to keep the secret of what exactly Gensoumaru's planning until the next chapter. Don't worry, it'll be the first thing you read in the next one so be patient. :D_

_Thanks again to all the people who faved, alerted, and at least read this story. You guys are awesome! _

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __**review!**_ _**(Please, they are welcomed!)**_


	28. Chapter 28

_Sorry this took so long to upload, all my readers. Fanfiction was giving me troubles whenever I tried to upload or submit a new story. It came up with some kinda wierd "Error" thing. I'm sorry for the incinvienence, so to make up for it: I give you a new chapter! :D_

_T__his chapter almost gave way to writers-block for a while there. I didn't know what to do with it, so I decided to bring in a riddle or two. Enjoy taking that apart. If you do think you have any ideas on the answer feel free to let me know. :D_

_By the way, the new female character of the forest was a made up, on the spot, character decision, but I can tell you now it's getting real hard to come up with some new characters so if you want to help out then please do!_

_Read and enjoy! __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 28-

He takes a deep inhale.

Lee's soul leaps, her heart sinks lower.

"I 'Submit' to you, my princess, my Lee, here and now. Your words are my life. Anything you ask or order from me, I will do my best to please you. I know truly, with all my heart, that my 'Submission' bond is formed by my love and not from desire like the other bond that has been made with you. I know…mine is stronger." He turns his eyes up to lock them with hers. "It will always be."

Her soul shudders as his words end and something stirs there, forming and taking hold of her. The strength of it is so immensely powerful that it scares her.

Her heart beats heavier in response, her 'Submission' bond with Sesshomaru bending from the power of it. She squeezes her eyes shut tightly and begs and pleads with all her might that it doesn't break!

Why? Why is Gensoumaru's so much stronger?

"Because our souls are connected. More fully now than they had become back at the mountain." He answers her even though the question hadn't entered her mind.

That's when she recalls it. Back at Mount Hakurei, he had kissed her and brought a piece of her soul into him, then given it to Naraku. She remembers. The piece of her soul had just barely touched Naraku before she tore it away from him. Is that why her soul cries for Gensoumaru because he had touched her soul to his? It this why he effects her this way?

"Our souls are much the same. Mine cries for yours as much as yours cries for mine. It is why they merged when I took a piece of yours into me. I felt them merge. It is because our souls are so similar." He stands up and takes her face into his hands so she is forced to look at him. "I was made for you. Destiny and fate designed me for you. Regretfully, I just came into existence through Naraku. Even so, I know now, I was made to be yours, to show you what love truly is."

He leans down and gently, softly, presses his lips to hers, effectively getting her soul to practically scream out in desperation. She closes her eyes, involuntarily leaning into him. Her hands reach up shakily, and grasp onto his kimono.

He pulls away for a fraction of a second, both of them breathing heavily and their breaths frosty with ice, and then begins to kiss her eyelids, her nose, her jaw, and then trailing his lips down her neck and along her collar bone; leaving behind a burning trail even though he himself is ice.

She swallows heavily before reaching up to turn his face back to her and press her lips to his once more. He chuckles, more than happy to oblige.

Her fire deep in her soul, builds up and lashes out. The sudden intense heat brings her back to her senses and she pushes away from him, covering her mouth. Her eyes are first wide with horror and disgust at herself before she squeezes them shut to keep in the rage filled tears. What is she doing? What has she done?

She falls to her knees, struggling to regain her breath.

Gensoumaru tries to touch her shoulder, but she slaps his hand away harshly. "NO!" She cries out in defense.

He takes a step away to give her space.

What is wrong with her? Why did she let this happen? Why didn't she tell him to stop talking?

'_God, Sesshomaru, I'm so sorry!_' She cries in her mind, wrapping her arms around herself.

Gensoumaru sighs. "I can see you need time to think; to understand." He turns from her, his chains beginning to lift back into the air and wrap around him along with a frosty white wind. "I love you…my Lee…my life."

He disappears, leaving her behind in a mess of confusion.

* * *

"Why are we walking again?" Moriko calls up to him as the wind whips at her hair harshly. "It doesn't make any sense to me. You could fly up this mountain with no problem at all."

"Because the guru doesn't like slackers." Ryu chuckles. "If you don't take the mountain with your feet and strength alone then he won't teach you the move that Lee was telling you about."

Moriko stops climbing and gives him an 'are-you-crazy' look. "Since when did you turn into a fortune cookie? Geez, you and Daichi are so much alike in the humor department. He used to talk like that just to get on my nerves." She laughs at the memory.

Something swirls in Ryu's stomach that he doesn't like and he spins around to face her. Moriko comes to a halt once more, staring up at him in surprise. He's mad; real mad. She's never seen him this way before.

"Let's get one thing straight." He says through clenched teeth. "I am not like Daichi. I will never be, so stop seeing me as him."

With this said, he continues on up the mountain, leaving her standing there in confusion.

'What the heck was that?' She thinks.

* * *

Gensoumaru's body reappears in a gust of icy wind and his chains stop glowing, returning to hang around him. He stares down the hill at the small hidden cave below him. Taking a few deep breathes, he erases his expression and heads inside, letting the unnatural darkness close around him. It quivers in response to the cold aura around him as he pushes through it with no problem.

"Ah, Gensoumaru. You have returned." Calls a dark, smooth voice.

Gensoumaru stops in answer and kneels down to one knee on the floor as he had done to Lee not too long ago, but he couldn't very well tell this creature that.

Naraku appears out of the darkness then, his body fully repaired from the death blow Lee and Sesshomaru had dealt him. He smiles darkly down at Gensoumaru.

"Tell me good news, Gensoumaru." He orders.

"I did find her. She is currently traveling alone through the swamp forests towards the ash lands." He answers, keeping his eyes to the floor.

"The ash lands?" Naraku rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I see. She's trying to find Loki, the fire being." He starts chuckling in amusement.

Gensoumaru keeps his face blank and his eyes closed. Loki? He has never heard of the being before. Why would Lee be looking for him?

"May I ask why?" Gensoumaru bravely asks, taking a chance.

Naraku turns away from him, the darkness around him trembling. He takes a few steps back into it before sitting down on a throne-like seat in the rocks and resting his chin on his knuckles with a smile.

"Is it not obvious? Loki is the being of fire. If she beats him, surpasses him, she will gain his gift. If she gets that, she'll be even stronger." Naraku closes his eyes. "Last time we battled, she could barely land a hit on me, but if she gains his gift she may be a bit more lucky." He pauses again, opens those cold eyes once more to stare off into the distance, replaying unknown memories to himself.

"That power…" He mumbles to himself. Gensoumaru can hear him perfectly, but he acts like he can't to avoid his gaze. "I desire it…more than anything. I'll have to obtain her soon."

Something inside Gensoumaru flinches. Naraku desires power that is no doubt, but the way he had said those words revealed something much more dark. He wanted Lee herself.

Gensoumaru locks his jaw, clenching his teeth together and swallowing.

This, Naraku catches. "Gensoumaru, what is this dark change in your aura? Tell me what else you learned from your time away from me."

He raises his eyes, wiping them of all emotion, and looks directly into Naraku's red gaze. "I tried to fight her once more, like you asked me, to see what I could get from her, but the swamps…are a different terrain for me all together. I lost sight of her." He lowers his head again. "This loss will not happen again."

"See that is doesn't." Naraku responds, his voice becoming hard. "Then again, you are still fairly new to this battle I have waged. Perhaps I should try you next, little one." He turns a sly smile to his right and Gensoumaru follows his gaze. A light, hot and bright, fills up a solitary corner of the cave. The light is as brilliant and warm as the sun and yet he can see how dark it is; warped and corrupted. The dark light-a deep pulsing red- seems to be generating from inside the figure it surrounds. The person is small, barely up to Gensoumaru's chest, and wears a long hooded black cloak that covers up their entire body. The cloak, around the edges that they drag behind them, seems to quiver and stretch like the darkness around them; as if it's made from it.

"Another incarnation, Naraku?" Gensoumaru asks, trying hard not to sound surprised.

"Just the opposite." Naraku chuckles. "I pulled this one from the dead; just like I did with Kohaku."

* * *

Lee doesn't know how long she suffered and tormented herself before she finally passed out…or something like it. She was, however, completely aware of someone carrying her. It was a woman, tall and strong, yet small framed.

Lee couldn't get up the energy to move and find out who it was, so she just let her carry her through the swamp maze that this forest had made over the centuries. The insects and animals seemed to stir excitedly when the woman came near to them, carrying her farther and deeper into the beyond.

Eventually, though, the environment changed. It became solid and stiff, as if walls were beginning to form from the trees and smooth floors from the rocks and stones bulging from the water surface. The rivers themselves became less murky and more clear like crystals. The odd musty swamp smell changed into a floral smell, like water lilies and lavender. The woman walked smooth and sure as if she knew the forest by heart, as if she was a part of it.

As she walked on, Lee could hear that she was chanting out words that she couldn't make out and then there was the sound of cracking and stretching roots and trees. The woman sets Lee down on something beyond soft and then her body finally falls to sleep. It seems like she's always falling to sleep when bad things happen to her body. Is it because she's not used to a half-demon body yet?

"Rest, my child." A pressure brushes her forehead like wind. "When you wake, so will your time."

'_What does that mean?_' Lee thinks right before she falls completely unconscious.

Time passes quicker than she expected, but she doesn't really remember what she had dreamed about. She could've sworn she saw Gensoumaru mixed in there, but she knows that she had pushed the dream away on reflex. She didn't want to think about that or anything that awaited her when she returned to Sesshomaru and the group.

Birds and sunbeams greet her when she finally wakes up. Lee refuses to move right away. It feels like it's been days since she saw the sun and felt its warmth on her skin. The wide open sky beyond is filled with birds of all colors but the scene is framed by the tops of many trees so she knows she's still somewhere in the swamp. She breathes, filling her lungs with the fresh air and tasting the sweet scents around her. Where ever she is, it's nothing like the forest she had entered before. Lee felt almost, connected to the place.

'_Well, time to face the music._' Lee rolls her stiff eyes and slowly sits up, ignoring the aches and pains that flare up throughout her body. That's when she notices it.

She's lying in a spider web hammock-like bed filled with colorful flowers and leaves that are threaded into it. Her eyes go wide and she's about to scream in disgust, but a voice stops her.

"The silk spiders made it for you. The faeries added the flowers and leaves. It took awhile to find someone to watch over you while you slept, but eventually the birds chipped in. I'm sorry if they woke you." The voice is gentle, kind, and wise.

Lee looks up, taking in the being before her.

She looks about thirteen or fourteen, so unlike what Lee thought. She wears a strapless dress made all out of deep green grass sewn together with much skill. Her long red hair is a wild mess of curls and twists that cascade down her back, nearly brushing her ankles. Pink and yellow flowers are threaded into a braid that circles her head with thin blades of grass too. Her feet are covered by moss shoes sewn together by strong vines. Around her upper left arm is a braided wood armband. It looks like the wood was woven together by magic.

She has no fangs, she bares no claws, and her pupils are as round as the sun. Those eyes aren't hostile; just gentle, open, and beautiful.

If Lee didn't know any better, she'd swear the girl was nature itself. The birds that she had seen dancing through the sky when she woke up, come swooping down and dance around her, one landing on the finger she extends to it.

'_It's like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves all over again. What's with all the Disney copycats lately?_' Lee blinks.

"I hope you rested well. Take all the time you need to recoup." The young girl smiles at her again, petting the bird gently on the head.

"Recoup?"

"From your shock." She replies to Lee's confusion. "A 'Submission' bond that strong would shake anyone, no matter how strong their soul."

Lee jumps to her feet quickly, barely registering that the black cloth that had covered her feet except for her toes and heels is gone, and stands shakily on the cool stone floors where tree roots and vines grow all over it; creating intricate designs.

"How'd you know about that?" Lee demands.

Lee's outrage doesn't seem to affect her, but she still smiles in understanding. "The power of it as it joined you two rippled through my forests and disturbed our sleep. I knew the second you entered my domain, Lee. Your mind is as open book to me, but I became really concerned the moment your heart shuddered."

The information hits Lee in the stomach hard and her knees give out, sending her to the ground once more.

"You have many questions and concerns, Lee, but first you must come to terms with yourself once again." The young girl brushes a few of Lee's bangs out of her face so that her eyes are exposed. "Two 'Submission' bonds are hard to carry."

"Two?" Lee starts.

She smiles again as if the slightest movement would break Lee like glass. "Yes, the one in your heart has survived. Don't fear for it. A bond is as strong as the ones it binds. Have more faith in it."

The words seem to spark some determination inside Lee somewhere and she smiles.

"There now. Feel better?"

"Yeah, thanks." Lee says.

"No thanks needed. Your strong determination is what changed my mind about you. I had planned to let you continue to stumble around my home for the rest of eternity, but, like I said, you changed my mind."

Lee's smile had faded during her claim and she now stares at her in worry and horror. The young girl laughs at her expression and her laughter echoes around them like wind chimes.

"Come, Lee. You'll wash, have something to eat, and then I'll tell you all that you wish to know."

"May I know your name first?" Lee asks as she helps her o her feet.

"I've gained lots of names over the centuries, but two have stuck: Nightingale and Morning Glory. You can choose which ever you like."

Nightingale, then."

Nightingale grins and nods her content. After that, the birds and dragon flies lead her down a steep twisting case of stairs molded out of the rocks themselves, and down to a crystal clear pool of water where a ten foot waterfall cascades down into it. She washes here and then steps into a robe of flowers and grass. The birds take her back to the place where she had been before, but it looks totally different now.

The setting sun off in the distance is just about to touch the tree tops below them. Lee can't figure out if they're on a mountain top or in a giant tree, but they are up someplace high. Fireflies dance around the area like little candles; no longer those haunting ones from her dream with Gensoumaru…

"No!" Lee mumbles to herself. "None of that."

"Lee, are you alright?" Nightingale asks, appearing out of nowhere.

"Oh! Y-yes. Thank you for…" She trails off, glancing down at the robe around her.

"Well, the faeries are very good at their work so I'll pass on your thanks. I'm sorry your clothes were not ready for you when you were done bathing, but the silk spiders insisted on giving you a present too. They're weaving their silk into your fire-rat kimono as we speak." She explains, shifting the large bowl of fruit in her arms.

"Wait, how'd you know my kimono was sewn with hair from the fire-rat?"

"The fire-rats were born here in my forests before they adventured out into the world, but people realized that their hair was more than fire proof, it was nearly indestructible. Swords and, eventually, guns couldn't penetrate it so they began killing them off and making clothes and armor out of it. The fire-rats feared for their lives so what few of them are left returned here over a century ago and they have all but become a part of the forests." Nightingale tells her.

"How sad." Lee sighs.

"Yes, the fire-rats are practically no more, but a few have come searching for them so that they can have their hair for themselves."

"Yeah, a friend of mine Inuyasha has a kimono made from the fire-rat hair too, but I didn't know they were extinct. I'll let him know to take good care of it." Lee nods, following her to the floor where the roots have come together to form a makeshift table.

Nightingale laughs at this. "Please do. He's probably the only one left in this world besides you that has anything made from them. The hair is definitely a good advantage to have, but the silk from the silk spiders is something amazing too."

"Is it indestructible too? Will I be able to do something cool...like fly or...go invisible?" Lee asks excitedly.

"It makes your clothes waterproof."

Lee's excitement falls. "Huh?"

"Well, that, and they'll be lighter. That way your armor won't be adding to the heaviness you'll have to carry around." She shrugs. "It's better than it sounds, trust me." She pats her shoulder, trying to raise her spirits, but Lee just sighs in defeat.

She waves her hand and a few squirrels come running over carrying a round bowl of water on their backs. They place it on the table and then leave after she pets them each on the head. "I want to show you something before I begin my story."

Raising her hand over the water, it ripples and changes into many colors. Lee involuntarily leans forward in anticipation and wonder. The ripples bring the colors together and she's practically pulled into the scene.

Voices of many generations, wise and old, swirl around her.

"_Hear us, future children._"

"_Our words are of great importance._"

"_Evil is coming, we fear._"

"_It is great and mighty, corrupted by darkness itself._"

"_It will seek power and domination._"

"_It will strive for destruction and fear._"

"_But all is not lost._"

"_There is hope._"

"_One final hope._"

"_When air falls..._"

"_When water cries..._"

"_When fire bleeds..._"

"_The Guardians will awaken._"

"_Although, this evil will seek them out as well,_"

"_These chose by the maiden of souls._"

"_It will seek to use them to its advantage._"

"_It will use them against the world._"

"_Evil cannot gain their power..._"

"_Or the world and its balance will fall._"

Lee pulls back quickly, her head spinning and her eyes burning as if acid was sprayed in them.

"I'm sorry. I forgot to warn you that the memory mirror can be a bit overpowering." Nightingale steadies her, grabbing her shoulders.

"Memory mirror?"

"These waters are older than time itself." Nightingale explains, pointing to the bowl of water that seemed almost invisible now to Lee's eyes. "They hold all the memories of those who left behind messages for the future generations. The message you heard was from a particular three who saw a great evil that would rack this land. That is what you heard yes?"

"Yeah," Lee answers, rubbing her eyes, "But what were they talking about? What was all that about a final hope? Air falling, water crying, and fire burning? Air isn't exactly solid, so it can't fall, water **is** water, so it can't cry, and fire is too hot to hold any amount of liquid be it hot or cold, so I know it can't bleed."

"I do not understand most of it either, but then again I'm not supposed to. You are the one, you and your friends, who must figure it out because you are all after this evil. You are all fighting to stop it."

"Naraku." Lee says the name with a string of hate in her voice.

"Yes." Nightingale nods. "The three voices left in the memory mirror foresaw his evil and left behind their knowledge for those who would face him."

"But what's the rest of it mean?"

"The final hope is supposed to be a wish of some kind I believe. A wish has to be made, but it has to be pure. That or it could also be talking about the Guardians. The other piece, about the maiden of souls I believe speaks of Midoriko. It was said that her soul was were the Sacred Jewel was formed."

"Oh, yeah. Midoriko. I met her once. She told me that during the final battle that would decide her fate, she forced out her soul, along with the demons she was fighting, and the result was the jewel of four souls. That would explain that part of the riddle, now what about this other bit about these Guardians she chose?" Lee rubs her chin in thought.

"It is said that Midoriko, long before her death, called on three angels from the heavens to aid her in her battle to keep the balance in this world. They were so moved by her plea, that they gave up half their immortal blood to take on solid forms, but it also meant that they would suffer what we all fear: death. Midoriko gave up a piece of her spiritual power to each of them so that even though they would die, they would quickly be reborn into a new shell. This kept them 'alive' in a sense. Although, over time, the need for them grew more and more faint so they eventually became dormant altogether inside their shells. Their identities have been lost over time." Nightingale clarifies.

"So all we have to do is call loud enough and they should wake up right?" Lee jumps to her feet, her excitement renewed. "They'll have to be able to hear us and then they can go and take care of Naraku with us. This is great! Do you know where I can get some clues about where to find them?"

Nightingale shakes her head. "The only time I have ever heard about them was here in this memory. The riddle is beyond me since I was never good at them to begin with, but I may know someone much older who may know something." She climbs to her feet and Lee follows her over to the ledge overlooking the forest below, the setting sun coloring her in oranges and yellows.

"Great! Who?"

She points off into the distance and there's a faint outline of a smoky cloud beyond. "In the ash lands. You are already searching for him, but to meet him you must win his challenge. Lee, it won't be easy. You must clear your mind and keep your pure determination burning brightly. Don't give up, no matter what."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Lee grins, staring off at the horizon with her. "Is there anything about Loki I should know about?"

"He likes to torment people." Her voice drops and annoyance fills it. Lee glances at her in question.

'_What had Loki done to __**her**__ in the past?_' She wonders, trying to suppress a grin.

"Well," She turns away and returns to the table. "Shall we eat? After you can get some more much needed rest and then in the morning your journey will continue."

Lee smiles and nods.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Elder." Ryu kneels to one knee while a few steps behind him, Moriko collapses on the floor in exhaustion. She gasps for air, her chest heaving heavily from the climb up the mountain. His eyes closed, Ryu shakes his head in annoyance.

"Ye are Ryu. I remember ye well." The old guru nods his greeting, brushing his long white beard, seeing as it's the only hair on his head left. "It has been a long time since I've seen the Cavern village children. I'm am sorry to hear about your loss."

"Thank you for your concern, sir." Ryu nods, getting back up to his feet. "This..." He rolls his eyes. "This is...Moriko. Lee told you about her the last time we were here."

The elder turns his old gray eyes down to the girl still gasping on the ground. His eyes narrow in disapproval. "Yes, I see. Is this the one who also lost to my mountain?"

"H-hey!" Moriko wheezes, lifting her hand weakly in protest. "I...made it...h-here...d-didn't I?" Her forehead collapses back on the floor again.

"Barely." Ryu and the guru sigh in union.

"I am to teach this child my technique when she can hardly take on a simple task as climbing?" He asks Ryu sternly.

"You are the only one who can. She is the sole survivor of the earth technique." He pleads with him.

The guru brushes his beard again in deep thought, closing his eyes and drawing up his eyebrows in concern.

Ryu stares at him, waiting for his answer, but also trying his best to ignore Mori's heaving and gasping sounds from behind him on the floor. The girl is weaker than her thought. How on earth did she survive the fight at the river?

Moriko grabs onto his belt wrap around his waist and pulls herself weakly to her feet, he knees wobbling like crazy. She hangs onto his arm for support while she finally gets a good look at the hermit in front of her.

"That's him?" She hisses under her breath. "We came...all the way...up here...for an old man?" Her breath is getting steadier now as her heart stops pounding from the recent workout.

Ryu answers her, his jaw locked and his teeth clenched. "Yes, now would you please show some respect and bow to him?"

"What? I just...got up off the floor!"

Glaring, Ryu grabs the back of her head and forces it down so that she's bowing from the waist.

"This works too." Moriko mumbles in pain.

The guru opens his eyes and catches this, but he doesn't answer right away. The child is rude, disrespectful to her elders, and has a dirty tongue. To take this on as his student would be running his technique's reputation through the mud. Then again...

Moriko stands up and stubbornly pushes Ryu away with a growl.

He smiles, his old voice chuckling for the first time in weeks. If he took her on, he'd be taking on a strong one. She's stubborn and hard-headed, but what rock isn't?

"Very well."

Ryu and Moriko stop arguing under their breathes and turn to look at him in shock and surprise.

"But don't think I'll go easy on you, child. To learn my technique you must be able to surpass even me." He stands up on his old legs, his long dark brown robe dragging around his feet, and pops the end of his long walking stick hard on the ground with a pound.

Moriko turns her surprised glance a Ryu for a split second before pulling away from him and smacking her fist into her palm. A playful and determined grin stretches across her face. "Bring it on, old man."

* * *

"They fit just like normal. Thank you." Lee smiles, holding her hand out and letting the spider drop onto her palm lightly for a second and then pull back up into its web. She swears she can see the giant spider smile, but she tries not to think about it.

Her clothes had been returned to her once again, but now they feel as like and as smooth as silk, maybe even lighter. Her armor across her shoulder doesn't feel as heavy either now that she doesn't have thick, profound cloth under it to rub against. Her whole body feels lighter, renewed by sleep and relaxation. The forest had become like a second home to her in the short time she's been here. It's almost like being back at the Cavern village.

"They are happy that you are happy." Nightingale interprets the spiders silent mumbles.

Lee smiles at them and then finishes pulling on her fish net glove onto one hand and then the wrist band onto the other. Her black cloth wannabe socks have been returned to her as well.

"Well, I guess I should get moving then. Thank you again for everything. I don't know how to repay you, but I promise to one day."

Nightingale laughs. "Just promise to stop by and visit us now and again and that will be enough."

"Deal."

"Oh, wait." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a beautifully carved wooden whistle. She blows into it and a soft, high pitched whistle echoes into the forest below. "Your ride." She explains when she catches Lee's look of confusion.

"Ride?"

A great beating sound and large gusts of wind rock the trees and blasts the leaves out of the branches above. A large white swan-dragon-looking...thing lands in the clearing before them. Lee's jaw drops.

"A Viraline. Last of its kind." Nightingale chuckles. She steps forward and pets the massive creature that looks as if it could swallow her whole, she can almost fit inside its mouth for crying out loud, and it purrs gently. "It's a gentle giant so you have nothing to worry about. It will be faster flying than you trying to find your way through the forest." Her grin is one of amusement.

"Well, I'll prove to you one day that I can make it through without a map." Lee snickers as she takes a few steps towards the beast. It watches her curiously as she goes to its side. As if on cue, the Viraline lowers its long neck and motions with its snout to hop on. She smiles as she does, a child-like enthusiasm building inside her. The beast lifts its neck and she has to grab onto the feathers tightly to keep her balance. They're so soft it's amazing.

"Take care on your journey, Kasei. Keep your mind clear and your determination strong." Nightingale bursts into a flurry of butterflies and the Viraline takes off into the air after a few strong beats of its wings.

'_Strange. That monkey dude called me the same thing._' Lee thinks, looking back at the place where Nightingale had been, but now the spot is vacant and empty.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Yay! I really like this ending, so yes I'm feeling proud. I'm allowed that every once in a great while. Hope you liked this chapter and there's much more changes to come._

_How did y'all like Nightingale? She was the 'on the spot' character I had to make up quickly. :D_

_Thanks again to all the people who faved, alerted, and at least read this story. You guys are awesome! _

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __**review!**_ _**(Please, they are welcomed!)**_


	29. Chapter 29

_Well, this chapter is shorter than I expected it to be. Sorry about that, but please enjoy._

_The new demons I bring in on this chapter are some of my favorite so far, but sadly I wasn't able to go into deep detail with them…I think I'll make a one-shot with them later if I can get a short storyline on them._

_Anyone want to help?_

_Read and enjoy! __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

Chapter 29-

The wind beat at her harshly, but she keeps her eyes forward on the horizon and lets the thumping sound of the huge wings fill her ears. The Viraline flies on through the air smoothly, the wind seeming to part for it.

Lee watches the forest below her change over the flight, growing less dense and dark with each passing minute. The trees finally give way, the swampy waters dry up, and the grass gets more and more brown until all that's left is dried up grass blades and dirt. It's here, at this boarder line, where the Viraline decides to land.

She climbs off slowly, allowing one hand to brush through the soft feathers, and stares off into the swirling dry sands of the desert.

'_Yay. Just my luck. I should've brought water with me._' Lee groans.

The Viraline nudges her arm with its muzzle as if it read her thoughts, and Lee holds out her hands as one of its giant tears lands in her out stretched palms. The tear changes and morphs into a moss covered water container right before her eyes. A small piece of parchment is tied to it which she curiously reads:

"_I figured you'd need this. Two swallows of __this__ water should last you a day, but there's extra in case. Good luck. Nightingale._"

Lee chuckles at the letter.

A gust of dry, hot wind breaks into the happy moment and out of nowhere these creatures appear; surrounding her with spears aimed at her throat.

A long second later, when she realizes that she's in trouble, her hands shoot up in surrender. "I'm on my way to the ash lands to seek help from the fire being so that II can destroy a great evil that threatens the very life and balance of this world." She quickly spits out in one breath.

The creatures, wearing desert colored clothes and masks covering all of their heads except for their eyes, glance at each other in confusion.

'_Ten bucks says they don't speak my language._' Lee rolls her eyes.

One of the people in front of her takes a step forward, lowering their spear and tilting their head to the side a little. "Naraku?"

A smile lights up on Lee's face as she points at the person with a snap of her fingers. "Yes!"

The person lowers their weapon completely with a chuckle and says something to the others in an unknown language.

'_I knew it, they don't speak my language, but, hey, at least there's no more pointy objects pointed at me._' She shrugs.

The one who had called off the assault on Lee pulls down their mask, uncovering their mouth and head. It's a woman.

"You must be the Kasei. The Forest Queen sent word of you." The woman says, her voice heavy with an accent.

'_What is it with this "Kasei" name?_' Lee smiles back and settles with the response "I guess. I've been called that a lot lately."

The woman laughs, throwing back her head. It's about now that Lee notices her pointed ears and fangs.

"So are you guys…desert demons or something?" She asks.

"Sand demons actually, but you were close. The Forest Queen told us you wished to pass into the ash lands beyond here, so we agreed to escort you there. We wouldn't want you getting lost out here. Unlike the forest, there's no water and no food unless you know where to look." Her words are strict and harsh, but she's smiling so Lee doesn't think the woman is threatening her.

"So you'll help me then?"

"We have a common enemy so yes. As long as one of us defeats him then it doesn't matter to me. I just don't see how a child like you can stand up to him." She grins.

"I've gone against him more than once and I still stand before you, don't I?" Lee returns her grin.

The woman doubles over in laughter again. "Ha! I love this kid!" She swings her arm over Lee's shoulders and then shouts something to the group in their native tongue. "The run will be long and hot, so let us know if you need a break." She tosses Lee a playful, skeptical look.

"Doubt it, but okay."

"Glad to hear it. My name's Kira by the way. Now, let's get a move on."

The sand demons surround Lee as they all run. She waves a goodbye to the Viraline as it takes back to the sky and disappears back into the forests. Lee keeps her focus on her pace, trying to match it to the sand demons who move across the dry, flat, cracked land as if they knew every crack and crevice by heart. Lee tries to ignore the blazing, hot sun and the gusting, sandy wind, but after an hour her body is drenched in sweat. She pulls the top of the water bottle off and carefully takes a small sip while she runs.

The water hits her tongue and her body is suddenly covered in goose-bumps as a chill runs through her and knocks her heated temperature to a cooling level.

'_Whoa!_' She replaces the cap and shakes her head in shock. She can't even feel the sun on her skin anymore she's so cold, but it's not an uncomfortable cold.

For the longest time, the only sound around them is their racing hearts, their pacing breathes, and their feet beating the ground. Hours pass by with very few words and very few stops. The Sand demons make a stop in a small village out in the desert, but Lee stays outside with a few of the other Sand demons to wait for them. When they carry on, Lee takes her second drink of the magic water.

"We're almost to the edge of our domain." Kira calls while they run. Lee glances at the ground and sure enough the dry cracks are becoming larger, the sand is becoming less and less, and the revealed ground is getting darker and more ashen colored "We won't be able to take you all the way there because of the drop into the ash lands that the Kemuri made, but we'll get you as close as we can."

Lee nods in understanding.

The remaining hour blows by and the all skid to a stop. Sand no longer kicks up here, it's a fine powdery ash. The ground crackles under her feet. The ledge before them looks out over a dark, dead land, spitting out fire and ash from underground and rivers of lava twist around here and there, highlighting the scene in glowing reds. Even from up so high, the massive heat hits their faces worse than the sun had before dark clouds of ash covered it up.

"Here."

Lee turns to Kira, holding out her hand to the object she hands to her. It's come kind of mask.

"This will help you breathe better."

"Wish I had this last time." Lee chuckles.

Kira smiles. "You've been here before?"

"Yeah, but I came in from a different direction and only skimmed around the outskirts, yet it was still hard to breathe even then."

"That's understandable." Kira shrugs, but doesn't interrogate her anymore. "Well, good luck, we have to return to the desert and find the sun."

"Thank you for everything and good luck to you as well."

The Sand demons vanish back into the sands behind her and she pulls on the mask over her face, staring across the ash lands with new determination.

'_Alright, let's do this._' She jumps off the ledge and down into the darkened world below.

* * *

Moriko falls back again, the dirt and thorny bushes digging into her skin. "What's your deal, old man? I've been fighting you for three whole days now! When are you going to just give me the stupid technique?" She demands.

"First," The guru points a sharp gaze down at her, holding nothing but his walking stick and a fruit in his other hand, "Ye must learn to respect your master. Calling him 'old man' will get ye nowhere. Second, ye must defeat me if ye want the secret."

"WHAT? Oh, come on! You've been throwing me around for three days and we're getting squat outta this! I know I can't beat you alright, that's a fact, but I don't have to sit here and waste my time on an old geezer who won't help me get stronger!" Moriko stands up and dusts herself off, ignoring the paper thin cuts up her arms and legs.

They had chosen a dusty dry canyon with thorn bushes to train in. How lame is that?

"Ye are not allowing me to help. Ye attack blindly, not using your other sense or brain. If ye want me to help, then attack me. Ye will only learn through failure."

She groans again, echoing loudly through the canyon. "Learn what? All you've taught me is that I can't get near you!"

He shakes his head, poking his staff at the ground again.

When he gives her no answer, Moriko attacks him again, but it only rewards her with a blow to the back side and a toss into more thorn bushes. The rocks meet her fall. Bruised beyond compare, she shakily gets to her feet and glares at him. How is she supposed to attack someone she can't touch? It's impossible. On top of that, he said that she can't use her earth talents at all. What else does she have?

Her eyes fall to the maze of rocks around below him. He had taken stance on top of a stone pillar and she hadn't budged him from the spot in three days; and that counts nights as well. All she's had is water to drink since coming to this canyon. No sleep, no food, no nothing. It takes a toll on the body after a while, even for a demon.

'What would Lee do?' She thinks. 'Knowing her, she'd run at him until she found his weak point and then go all out at that spot, but I can't do that. I'm not that fast of a learner.'

"_The earth is a part of you, Moriko._" Kiyoshi had once told her. "_You don't need to manipulate it to win a battle. Use your opponents weight against them and break through their defenses. Keep yourself as strong as stone, though, the entire time._"

'What does that mean?' She wonders. Her eyes settle on the pillar in front of her and they widen. 'That's it!' She races at the pillar he stands on and kicks it hard over and over.

"It's planted firmly in the ground, child. Your efforts are useless." The guru calls down to her.

'I know that.' Moriko smirks as she goes to work at the pillar. Bit by bit, she cracks away at the surface around the pillar until there is a slight bulge around the entire bottom area of it. 'I just need it weakened.'

Switching directions really fast, she zigzags her way through the other walls and pillars around her until she's out of his line of sight. She looks for a good place to start and then starts beating away, kicking and punching and slamming the rocks around her until the fall one after another like dominoes towards the pillar he's perched on. The guru catches on just as the rocks hit the pillar and, in its weakened state, cracks and tumbles to the ground. He leaps off it just in time and hops across them to the ledge overlooking the canyon below. He turns around the second he feels the presence behind him, but a rock spike juts quickly out of the ground and stops right at his throat. Moriko stands beside it with her fist held in the air towards him, mimicking the spikes position. Her breath is heavy, but a triumphant smile is decorating her face.

"I did tell ye that ye couldn't use your earth abilities." He smiles proudly.

"Yeah, well, I figured since I haven't used them in three days that you'll let one time slide." She smirks.

He thrusts his fist at the ground and the spike falls into pieces. "Come pupil. It's time to start your training." He walks back towards the house.

"Wait…" Moriko follows him with her eyes, glancing in disbelief down at the mess of rocks she made in the canyon below and then head after him. "You mean all that wasn't a part of the training? You're kidding me right?"

* * *

Inuyasha lands on the ground again, sticking his nose right above the dirt again. Nothing. Not a single thing.

They had been traveling all morning and there's no scent of Naraku anywhere.

The only thing out of the ordinary that they had seen today was while passing through a village, some dying princess saw him and seemed to recognize him, but they didn't stop to see why. Then while they were traveling away from the village, they had seen a dark demonic aura descend onto the village and they rushed back to find it had disappeared.

And now here he is with his nose to the ground again. He could swear that the aura had something to do with Naraku, but without his scent anywhere it was hard to find something to go on.

"Anything, Inuyasha?" Kagome asks.

"Nothin'. Whatever that aura was it's gone now and there's nothing left of its presence anywhere." He answers, getting back to his feet.

"I wonder where something so evil could have disappeared to so quickly."

Inuyasha just shakes his head in agreement.

* * *

"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru, where have you gone now?" Jaken whines to himself as he glances left and right. Rin sits on the ground next to where Aun lies and strings flowers together while she hums to herself.

"He probably went to find food, Master Jaken." She smiles.

"That's my job, you silly girl!" He snaps, waving his staff around in a panic. "Lord Sesshomaru shouldn't be wasting his time with trivial affairs such as that!"

In all truth, Sesshomaru wasn't too far off. He walks silently through the trees by himself, letting the small shafts of light from the sun touch his shoulders and head every so often. The leaves fall once or twice in the wind that rocks the tree tops above him. Everything is peaceful here.

Something catches his eye and he slices his clawed hand in a downward slant, cutting through a spear of ice that tries to skewer him alive from behind him. The ice shatters easily from his hand and melts before it even hits the ground.

"So you are the fabled Sesshomaru, Dog demon lord of the western lands." A deep, smooth voice chuckles like the darkness itself.

Sesshomaru narrows his eyes as he scans the trees for the attacker. His aura is nowhere to be found.

Then out of the shadows steps a figure, tall and familiar. At first, his eyes shoot open wide, and he's about to speak his father's name, but then the shadows give way to the man and he locks his teeth together. His eyes return to their normal bored glare.

The man looks like his twin, only he has both normal arms and chains to replace the fur Sesshomaru carries. His armor is also different from his, but only in shape; he could pass off as Sesshomaru easily if he returned to the western lands. The man's eyes, as light and cold as ice, seem to dance in amusement, matching his playful smile. His long silver hair, tied back in a pony tail, dances in the slight breeze.

"You're not what I pictured." He chuckles again, giving Sesshomaru a once over.

'This demon...' Sesshomaru thinks. 'He is not alive...'

"Oh, I am very much alive, Sesshomaru. I am just hiding my aura from you. I have that power." He laughs, reading his thoughts. "It is the reason you do not sense me."

Sesshomaru turns to face him fully. "And why do you approach me?"

"Simple." He says. "I'm sure you've heard of me by now."

"I don't hear much of lower class demons such as yourself." Sesshomaru spits out sharply.

"Well, well," He places a hand over where his heart would be, "She was right to call you short-tempered and stubborn, but she left out rude and disrespectful."

Sesshomaru narrows his eyes again suspiciously. "She." It's a statement, not a question.

"Yes, she." He smiles again, starting to walk a wide circle around Sesshomaru. "Surely she's spoken of me more than once. Surely she has called my name in her dreams, thought of me instead of you, wished that you were more like me. It should be more than obvious."

Sesshomaru catches on then, quicker than was thought by his opponent. "You're Gensoumaru."

"Yes, I am."

* * *

_YES!_

_Finally the show down between the two who I have been dying to force into battle! YAY!_

_I hope y'all stick around to see where it goes and how did everyone like the Sand demons? Should I try and do a one-shot storyline for them or no? I'm not really sure now that I've read over the chapter. I really still like them though._

_Thanks again to all the people who faved, alerted, and at least read this story. You guys are awesome! _

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __**review!**_ _**(Please, they are welcomed!)**_


	30. Chapter 30

_Well, this chapter took way too long to update. Sadly for all my Sesshomaru vs. Gensoumaru fans, I couldn't fit in their battle in this chapter because it would've screwed up the storyline, so to make up for it I added in some more problems for Lee._

_Lee: Gee thanks._

_You'll live._

_Lee: You hate me don't you?_

_No! What makes you think that? Hahaha!_

_Anyhoo, here's the next chapter introducing Loki, his messed up idea of training, more of Moriko's training time, and Lee in the more difficult situation she's ever been in yet: being nothing but spirit. :D_

_Here ya go!_

_Read and enjoy! __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

Chapter 30-

Lee lands with a thud on the black scorched rocks after leaping over a field of boiling hot lava. Her breath is coming faster now after running this far. The heat is much more immense the farther you travel into the center of the ash lands.

She jerks her eyes back across the river field of lava. Her pursuers are getting faster, closer, but every time she looks back, they seem to disappear like fog after the sun rises. It's starting to worry her. She's getting more jumpy by the minute. Climbing to her feet, she fumbles her finger over the mask to make sure it didn't slip off on her flight across the river.

Suddenly, the already shaky rocks under her feet, start to crackle and shatter as something pushes its way up and out. She throws herself forward lands on her toes, skidding back away from the place she was once standing. From out of the ground, like zombies rising from their graves, come these miniature rock creatures, glowing veins of lava spiraling over their rocky black flesh, that just pour out one after another with no end in sight.

"Whoa!" Spinning on her heel, she takes off away from the rising army, leaping and jumping across spikes and gaps where lava flows. The rock creatures follow close behind with amazing speed and agility considering their weight and size. Their legs are kind of short too, for rock creatures. They gurgle and screech after her as they follow, sounding an awful lot like gargoyles.

A few of them, as if on cue, sprout wings out of their backs and take to the skies above her.

"Of course!" Lee growls under her breath. Her bare feet race across the ever hot ground, trying not to stand still for very long so that the heat doesn't blaze her skin. One of the gargoyle-like rock creatures swoops down at her for an attack, but Lee skids to a quick stop and changes directions, causing it to crash and shatter into a spike.

"One down." She glances behind her and groans. "About a hundred more to go!"

The stone creatures reform themselves as they fall and just get right back up, refusing to let her get away. A few actually make it close to her, right at her ankles, but she knocks them back with her weapon and sends them crashing into some of their comrades. It doesn't help much seeing as it only keeps them down for like three seconds before they rejoin the chase.

"Oh, come on! I can't win, can I?"

"And why would I want you to win?" Comes a booming voice that echoes from all around her. She nearly trips in surprise.

"What the hay?"

"My Kemuri will stop you. You have no choice but to turn back." The voice retorts angrily.

"Kemuri...now where have I heard that before?" Lee mumbles sarcastically. "Well, Loki, I just want you to know that I'm a very hard-headed person, I don't follow orders very well, I learn really fast, and I don't like to fail. Does that about sum up all you need to know about me?"

The voice starts to laugh and she can feel the ground under her feet quake in time with it as she runs. She tries her best to keep from falling but eventually all she can do is hop around like a rabbit until the laughter stops. It doesn't help much that it slows her down to the point where she barely dodges the stone creatures every time she lands on the ground to jump again. When the laughter does come to a stop, she hits the ground running, putting a good distance between her and her pursuers.

Sadly though, out of lava before her, more come jumping out, red hot, to block her path, snarling and baring their rocky fangs.

"Yeek!" She swears under her breath, skidding to a quick stop before she hits them and changes directions on her toes. Her claws burn bright red from the hot rocks she drags her hands through to stop herself.

"There is more to you than you think, little Kasei."

"Funny, I've heard that one too." Lee's eyes narrow and she finally can't take it anymore. All this running is ticking her off. Her eyes scan the lava world around her and lock onto a tall rock jutting from the ground. With an easy leap, she digs her claw into the hot rock and climbs up it until she squats low at the top. Below her, the stone creatures pound their fists into the tall rock, trying to knock it over, but to no success. "Alright, enough of this nonsense! Where are you Loki?" Her cry tears into the dark sky where no sunlight touches. Only the glowing heat from the lava below her lights up this place.

That's when the monkey's words return to her.

"_You must travel where the sun doesn't need to shine. The light is blinding and hot, but it is not from the sun's hands._"

So that's what he meant. Lee rolls her eyes. Why hadn't she figured that out sooner? It's so obvious.

"Loki!" She calls out again. "I've been through hades and back again getting here. I went through confusing monkeys who only knew how to speak in riddles, I went through heart ache from two 'Submission' bonds being placed on me, I had to go through a blistering desert where I learned the new meaning of sun burn, and now you're giving me all this other crazy stuff to deal with. I don't want to hurt these little…stone friends of yours, but I will if I have to. I want to learn to become stronger so that I can rid this world of Naraku once and for all." Lee tightens her fists until her claws almost pierce her skin. "Will you teach me or not?"

Things go silent. All she can hear is the bubbling lava in the ever flowing rivers below her and the scratching from the stone creatures below her as they continue to try to knock the pillar down. The air is thick with heat and smoke; making it hard to breathe even with this mask she had been given. With a grunt, she pulls the mask off and stuffs it into her bag.

"What do you want me to do?" She demands, her anger causing her fire to stir and light up around her. Below the Kemuri stop attacking the pillar and look up at her. She's given no answer and her anger spikes. With a cry of frustration, she builds the fire up around her and lets it explode. The flames fan out in all directions, splitting the Kemuri up like glass and burning the air with a roar like thunder.

The new light touches everything around her and makes it look redder than it needs to be. The lava seems to react to the new heat. Rising out of the rivers a little and then falling back as the flames dissipate.

Calming down, she sits indian-style on the top of the pillar and crosses her arms stubbornly.

'_What do I do now? I can't exactly go back to everyone and tell them "hey, sorry but I couldn't learn any new techniques so you'll have to fight Naraku on your own." Inuyasha wouldn't let me forget it for the rest of my life. Kagome would probably never forgive me. Rin would most likely get over it eventually, but I'd have to wait out her frustration for a good while. Jaken would use it against me every day. And Sesshomaru..._'

Her thoughts stop here.

Sesshomaru. He would kill her if he knew. He would forever hate her if he found out about this 'Submission' bond that Gensoumaru now has with her. Her eyes fall and her anger turns to guilt. Slowly, her knees draw up to her chest and she wraps her arms around them, burying her face into her thighs. Her heart hurts again. She can feel it beat painfully in her chest. She can feel her bond with Sesshomaru get heavier with her guilt; making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

The lava world around her disappears from her attention and she forgets where she is almost instantly.

'_Sesshomaru...he can't find out. Ever._' She thinks.

Something touches her shoulder gently and she looks up with blurry eyes. There before her, a tall being of fire stands before her, towering nearly twenty stories high. His eyes glow a bright red, like fire, and the blazes engulfing him are every color of the rainbow she's ever seen before in her life. Just the sight of him has the fire within her own soul burning brighter.

"What has your heart heavy so?" The rumbling voice comes from the giant being.

She sniffs, wiping her finger under her eyes to brush away any escaping tears, and she stands up slowly. She forces her determination to fill her once more.

"Nothing. Will you help me or not?" She calls up to him.

Loki rubs his chin in thought, staring down at her with those blazing bright eyes. "Nothing you say? Your heart is crying and yet you ignore it. To be truly one with your fire, you must learn to listen to more than just what's around you. You must also listen to yourself."

He lowers a big finger and pokes her gently on the chest, the fires not causing her a bit of harm. "Your heart is crying out in pain. Tell me what it's saying."

Lee places a hand over her heart, thinking the guy has gone insane, but she knows what he speaks of. Her heart has been heavy ever since the bond with Gensoumaru had been placed on her. Her heart has been feeling weaker with every step, every word, and every beat. It racks her with a sadness so deep it feels like a physical pain. When hadn't she realized it? How come she hadn't known just how much she actually cared about Sesshomaru?

Closing her eyes, Lee concentrates on the labored beating of her heart; almost painful to listen to.

It cries out with each thump.

"It's too heavy." The words come out true and loud.

Loki nods, lowering his huge hand. "Then you must find out which one you want to let burden you. Which bond will you keep burning inside?"

Lee turns her gaze up at him, wanting so badly to scream 'Sesshomaru's', but she can feel her soul throb at the thought. She knows the truth even though she doesn't want it to be true.

"I...I don't know."

"You cannot come to full terms with your fire until you silence the war raging inside of you. I will teach you, but the will to learn must come solely from you. These bonds must not be what drives you. You will have to choose when the decision is finally laid out before you."

"What decision?"

Loki shakes his head. "It will come to you in time."

He holds out his large hand and Lee instinctively steps into his large palm, trying hard not to fall over when he turns to move.

"As of right now though, I welcome you, my new pupil, to the ash lands." He smiles.

* * *

"Hmm...so that's really all I have to do?" Lee asks, sitting down on the large stone alter carved from the scorched rock bed itself.

Loki nods and the fires around him become an inferno and he shrinks before her eyes inside the cave. "With meditation your spirit will leave you and you can leave where ever I send you to." The fires die down and before her stands a tall, tan beautiful man with long fire-red hair, yellow eyes, and dressed down in fine clothes of reds and golds. No armor decorates him; why would he need it when he can become a large being such as he was ten seconds ago.

"And why do I have to do this?" Lee slips off the black cloth wannabe-socks from her feet and lets them fall to the ground.

"You don't expect to get my lessons for free do you?" He grins at her as he sits down by a small fire that seems to hover in the air before him.

Lee narrows her gaze and glares at his back. "So, what, am I your delivery girl now? What exactly am I going to find?"

"The rare earth stone, a marble that holds great wisdom; a fire lily, which is a very valuable and fragile flower; and a drop of the celestial pool."

"A drop from the...wha-?"

"Celestial pool. It's a pool of water that is rumored to come from the tears of an angel. The water can cure any illness, heal any wound, and sometimes, if it's tasted more than three times, can grant a long life." Loki explains, poking the fire and then placing a round bowl of wood above the fire. You'd think it would burn, but it doesn't surprisingly.

"And why am I getting this magic water for?"

"I need it."

Lee rolls her eyes with a 'duh' look and then drops the other cloth from her foot. "So...what are these other items for or are you going to give me the same answer?"

Loki sends her a smile.

"Of course." She nods sarcastically. "So how do I do this 'going spirit' thingy? I'm not exactly a monk. I don't have any spiritual powers like Kagome or Miroku, so don't expect much out of me."

"All you have to do is drink this, follow my every direction, and don't screw up." He stands back up, removing the wooden bowl from above the fire, sprinkles some kind of dust into it, and hands it to her. She cups it in her palms, glancing up at him with a skeptical look.

"Didn't I just say not to expect much out of me? I screw up a lot if you haven't noticed."

"Well, let me put it this way. If you screw this up, you die." He raises his eyes brows and smiles.

Lee's eyes widen in horror. "Yay." She chuckles nervously.

Out of nowhere, a stone of red with gold designs across it, comes floating over to them, hovering in Lee's face for a long moment before moving away to hover by Loki's ear.

"Ah, welcome. I was wondering when you'd arrive." He says to the stone as if it had said something. He pauses then replies "Of course, it would be helpful if she'd have some guidance and I know you have much experience in the spirit world."

Lee glances between the two. '_Yeah, I'm surrounded by crazy people._'

The rock returns to floating right in Lee's face and then goes to hover by her ear. Suddenly a pressure pulses on her mind as if she's getting a head ach. She grabs her head quickly. "Ow. What the heck is going on?"

Loki lifts the cup in her hands. "Drink quickly."

"What? Wai-!" The cup is forced onto her mouth and the drink races down her throat, cold as ice even though it had been roasting over an open flame not a moment ago. The liquid hits her stomach heavily and not ten seconds later she starts feeling woozy and lightheaded. She grabs her head again and plants her sweaty palm on the stone she sits on to hold herself up. She fights against the strange sleepiness that tries to claim her.

"Don't fight it." Loki's voice comes to her, sounding as if he's far away and she's stuck under water. "Let it take you."

She doesn't want to trust the demon, but something inside her mind is coaxing her to listen; that strange pressure. It brushes against her mind, calming her down instantly and she sighs. Her eyes close and she feels her body hit the stone alter hard.

* * *

"Agh!" Moriko dodges the attack yet again, building up a mound of the earth around her to reflect debris that threatens to hit her. "What is this, survival? I thought you were going to train me!"

"This is training. Ye must learn to mold the earth, not just let it move. The earth is more than just rocks and dirt."

"Ugh! I will never understand you're fortune cookie talk." Moriko growls.

"What is this…fortune cookie?" The guru asks, leaning over towards Ryu who sits nearby twisting blades of grass together.

"Uh…according to our friend, it's a type of baked cookie that has a piece of paper inside it. The paper is supposed to give the eater wise words of wisdom…or something like that. Moriko picks up a lot of Lee's habits." He smiles sheepishly.

"I see." The Guru takes this response and returns to studying how his pupil is learning. He has twelve of his other pupils, who have all graduated and now become his followers, standing high on mounds and throwing different attacks at the girl in the center of the valley. He watches her footwork carefully, seeing that she hesitates on her left foot sometimes, possibly from a past injury, and how she dodges more to her right than her left probably for the same reason. She shuts herself up in earth boulders more times than one which is an effective defense, but it also lets your opponent surround you. If she spends less time dodging and more time fighting, he assumes she could possibly actually win a battle. So far, she refuses to step out of her little comfort box.

"Stop dodging so much." He voices his thoughts.

"How can I? These guys won't let up long enough for me to do much else." She snaps back.

"You can use defense for attacks too. Move the earth, Moriko."

"I'm trying!" She glares at him as he calmly takes another sip of his hot tea. He'd been sitting there all morning with Ryu and they both haven't moved an inch. Since they got here, she's noticed that Ryu hasn't spent much time around her anymore. He wastes a lot of time off flying around by himself and the guru won't allow her a break to go with him and find out exactly what he's up to. He won't even glare at her like he used to do just for fun because he knows it gets on her nerves.

The guru, on the other hand, is still as annoying as he's been since she met him. He refuses to actually teach her, he sits silently on a tall rock out of the way while she gets pounded with blows and bruises, and he rarely gives her advice that makes any sense what so ever.

Moriko sighs. Why didn't Lee let her go with her? She's probably having so much more fun. She's probably off kicking demon butts and saving the world while she sits up here getting nowhere. It's driving her crazy.

She drops the rocks around her that she has up for shields, her frustration getting the best of her, and she flips her hand up towards one of the guys who's attacking her. The rocks crack and rise from under his feet and throw him into the wall behind him. She doesn't even look up from her glare at the ground.

Using the same hand, she brings it across her chest and rock bullets rip from the ground at her feet and barrel into another guy on the opposite side, knocking him out of balance and to the ground. The students stop attacking to look and see if the two are alright. She takes this distraction to ball up her fist and raise it into the air. In an instant, all the students are caught up inside giant spheres of rock and she stomps over to where the guru is sitting.

"Am I done now? I'm about to starve." She sits down cross-legged and grabs a fruit from the bowl.

"You may take a break since you took my advice." He smiles in contempt.

"What advice?" She asks around a mouthful of apple.

"You used your best defense as an attack." He raises his hand to motion around him and Moriko glances back. She does use the rock sphere to shield her a lot. Why hadn't she thought of that sooner? She smiles proudly.

The guru snaps his fist down by his side and her handy work breaks to pieces and releases the students. They all crumble to the ground groaning. "Everyone take a nice break. You all did very well."

They raise their hands into the air and wave them around weakly. Moriko can only fall over laughing.

* * *

Lee sits up after falling over, rubbing the sore spot on her head. "What the heck was that?" Her voice echoes around itself. Her hand freezes in mid air and her eyes pop open in shock. "What's…going on?"

Around her, everything is washed over in red hues. She rubs her eyes to make sure she's not going blind and sure enough, everything is in red.

"I'm never drinking anything given to me by magical beings again. Nope." She slides off the altar and walks over to Loki who is sitting down by the fire calmly. "What was that stuff that you made me drink? It's done something to my vision."

Loki doesn't answer. It's like her hadn't heard her.

She waves her hand in front of his face. "Hello?"

He doesn't respond.

Gasping, she stumbles back away from him and glances back at the altar. There, still washed in red colors, is her body lying still as the dead, but still breathing; almost like she's just asleep.

"What the heck?"

There's a slight hazy glow illuminating from her body, but it's hard to tell when all you can see is in red. Loki looks back at her body over his shoulder and then he sighs. His voice is still far away and deep like she's under water.

"_It looks like you're already out of your body. I know it's confusing but you'll get used to it soon. She will guide you well._" He says.

"What are you talking about?" Of course he can't hear her, but she can't help but say it out loud anyway. Her voice surprises her still.

At her shoulder, the weird red stone with the gold designs shows up, glowing as well with the same glow that is coming off her body. It twirls around a few times happily.

"Are you what he's talking about?" She glares at it skeptically.

The stone responds by twirling again.

"Great." She rolls her eyes. "Now I'm talking to rocks. What else can get weirder?"

"_If you are ready, then the first object you need to find is the earth stone, but on the way there, you need to find the Hardened Methyl. It is the distant cousin to the material Mythril. Once you have it bring it back here._"

"What am I supposed to do, walk there?" Lee throws up her arms.

"_Touch the fire with the item in mind and you will be taken to the area near it. Finding it will be totally up to you._" He answers as if he knew what she had asked.

She rolls her eyes with a groan and reaches for the floating blaze in front of him. The fires are moving much slower than she had thought. It's almost like they are slowing down with time. She shakes her head and lets her fingers touch the flame.

There's a bright flash and she's pulled like a vacuum up into the air. It feels like she being thrown.

* * *

_So, yay, Lee has officially become a spirit for her training (more like deliver girl missions but okay) and she has to travel where ever the fire takes her to find the items that Loki has requested from her. What all will she experience? How will these travels change her?_

_Also, I'm taking MAJOR contributions from people who would like to help with these next few chapters. I'm not really sure where I'm going to hide the 'items' she's supposed to be getting so if you have any ideas then let me know._

_Thanks again to all the people who faved, alerted, and at least read this story. You guys are awesome!_

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __**review!**_ _**(Yes, they are welcomed!)**_


	31. Chapter 31

_Okay, yes this chapter is completely short, but I've decided to quit the story._

_So sorry, but please enjoy this final chapter. For me at least. Please read to the VERY END._

_Read and enjoy. __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed.)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

Chapter 31-

The wind hadn't stirred since they had met in this forest. Time had almost stood still in anticipation. Sparks are practically igniting in the air around them where their powers collide. Their eyes never leave the other, watching intently for a single move; waiting. Hearts beat faster. Blood turns cold in on instinct. Eyes turn colder. Everything is waiting for the battle to come; craving for it. Like two dominate animals competing for territory, this is why they are here.

Sesshomaru.

Gensoumaru.

Their clashing auras could be felt for miles and they haven't even advanced towards each other yet. Every demon in the area is cowering away, running from the tense anger that is rising like a wall of water about to burst.

Sesshomaru watches Gensoumaru carefully, his hand itching to grab his sword and kill this fool already, but not even his opponent moves to attack. Gensoumaru just stands there with an amused smile on his face, his clawed hands resting casually by his side. His weapon is nowhere to be seen either.

Does he use a sword? A staff? Anything?

Gensoumaru's smile widens when he sees the confusion in Sesshomaru's eyes. "Looking for something?"

Sesshomaru narrows his eyes more at the obviously insulting comment.

"No, I do not carry a sword, Sesshomaru. I feel no need for one."

Sesshomaru doesn't react to the fact that he had read his thoughts, but Gensoumaru picks up on it anyway and he chuckles.

"You seem surprised to know that I can read thoughts. Yes, Sesshomaru, I have that power too. I am an aura demon with the power to control ice and the auras around me. Souls are my specialty as well as hearts and powers. Your heart is like an open book to me, even more so than your mind. You called me a lower class demon, but after I got a good look at all that makes you up, I can see now that it is the other way around. I am a completely other level than you, dog demon. Your father may have been the legendary dog demon ruler before you, but compared to him, you are nothing but a flea on his side."

Sesshomaru's hand flies to his sword and he swings it to the side, his Dragon Strike ripping through the trees standing in the way, but not cleaving through any bodies at all; Gensoumaru is gone.

An echoing laughter chuckles around him, bouncing off the trees. "I do admit that you are strong. You have taken over the land that was handed down to you and I do have to say that it has a very strong protector, but I do believe I would do so much better."

Sesshomaru slices through the trees on the opposite side with his poison claws but again he hits nothing.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken's distant voice calls, coming closer.

"What will you have, Sesshomaru?" Gensoumaru's voice asks, burning into his mind.

Sesshomaru shifts his eyes around carefully, looking for the slightest movement.

"Lee or your precious territory of the western lands?"

Sending another Dragon Strike in another direction, the trees fall, revealing Gensoumaru floating in the air behind them, not a scratch on him. That same amused grin decorates his face. He raises his hands and shoots about two dozen spears of ice at Sesshomaru, causing him to take off into the air and dodging quickly.

"Which will you lose?" Gensoumaru asks, swinging his arm out in front of him and creating a wave of ice shards as sharp as glass that goes flying at Sesshomaru. He dodges most of the ice, but a few pieces make it past his guard and hit his hand, knocking his sword out of his hand.

He follows after it where it has landed blade first into the dirt far below him, slicing and skipping around the ice that Gensoumaru attacks him with easily.

When he's not but three feet from it, the sword is ripped out of the ground and disappears.

Gensoumaru lands not far away, Tokijin held securely in his hand. "I'll end this all now," He chuckles, a darkness throbbing around him, "And kill you with your own sword, dog."

Sesshomaru's hand starts to glow a bright green from his poison and he readies himself to attack him back. There's no way he's losing to this demon. He didn't need his sword.

Gensoumaru flies forward, almost a blur from speed, and raises the sword tip that he aims at Sesshomaru's heart. Sesshomaru responds by slinging his poison whip at him and it barely nicks Gensoumaru's foot, but it's enough to trip him and cause him to flip to the side and regain his balance before going at him from the side.

Sesshomaru turns to face him, to slice open his gut, but then the most disturbing thing happens.

Gensoumaru stops.

Completely.

His face is twisted up in confusion, hurt, and anger. Tokijin is raised in the air to kill, but not moving to do the deed. Sesshomaru can tell he's staring down at something blocking his path between them, but there's nothing there. Nothing. Just empty space.

"Why?" Gensoumaru growls painfully.

There's a long pause and then Gensoumaru drops the sword at a rest by his side, his eyes wide in disbelief. "No."

Again there is a long pause and then he squeezes his eyes shut, his fists shaking and turning white, and his chains start swirling around him. He disappears from the damaged clearing, taking Sesshomaru's sword with him.

* * *

_**SIKE!**_

_Hahaha! Why would I stop a story right there of all places? Y'all know me better than that. I'm not that good at pulling pranks on people. Especially smart minds like y'alls._

_This chapter is just really boring to me and it's just leading up to the second half of the story, that's all._

_Please look forward to "__**TEARS LEFT UNCRIED (part 2)**__"_

_Sucky title, I know but sue me. I'll have it up on my proflie if you can't find it. :D (Please actually look for it because it's not going to be attached to this in any way at all…unless y'all just want me to continue it on this one, just change the title?)_

_Thanks again to all the people who faved, alerted, and at least read this story. You guys are awesome! _

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __review!_ _(Please__**, they are welcomed!)**_


	32. Chapter 32

**_Author's Note_**

_HERE IT IS!_

"_Tears Left Uncried (part 2)"! YAY!_

_Hope y'all enjoy. Also, the one talking at the beginning is a character that will be showing up again, but….uh…..just pretend I didn't say that. :\_

_Heh heh…._

_Read and enjoy. __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed.)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**(Part 2)**

Chapter 32-

_How long has it been? Your guess is as good as mine._

_I welcome you back all the same._

_Who am I? No one special._

_A lot has happened since you've been gone. I have seen it all. I have watched over them all with a close eye. I will tell you what you have missed, so listen closely._

_We will first start with Moriko and Ryu. They have both been training hard with the mountain hermit guru. Moriko has learned much in her time with the old man and has quickly surpassed all his other students with ease. Ryu has opened up much more than before with Moriko and they have become much closer friends. Guru has seen fit to graduate Moriko from his class and both she and Ryu have left to search the lands for Naraku with new determination. They have joined with Inuyasha and friends but sometimes leave to search on their own._

_On one of their searches away from them, Ryu fought and won against Hakudoshi and his horse from hell named Entei and gained a new form. This new form was of the horse from heaven known only through legends as Hikaru._

_Together, Moriko and Ryu also helped Inuyasha and company defend Goryomaru and the orphans he protected when Naraku's minions attacked them, but strangely enough Goryomaru disappeared after the fight._

_They also watched helplessly as Inuyasha fused a jewel shard into his sword but he nearly fell to his demon side while trying to get them out of the demon's belly they were trapped in. Kagome was the one who really saved them in the end with her ability to purify the jewel and they were able to escape with their lives._

_Speaking of Inuyasha and friends, they have run across Naraku or his goons many times; most of the time finding only his evil works that were left behind. They also followed Naraku into the other world to claim the last jewel shard. Somewhere in the battle, a strange presence intervened and Naraku fled, leaving behind a baffled Inuyasha and crew along with a confused Sesshomaru. Something had possessed him and saved him from falling into the depths below that were shrouded in mist._

_Sesshomaru has continued his search for Naraku and Gensoumaru, who still has his sword Tokijin in his possession, along with Rin and Jaken They have run into Moriko more than once who has come to teach Rin a few lessons in self defense. Jaken has been close by to be a watchful eye whenever Sesshomaru wasn't there to._

_Ever since they were all split up, distance has built up between them all. They have gotten farther and farther apart. The bonds that had once bound them all together in friendship are beginning to blur._

_Lee has been missing; unheard from. No one has seen her since they all split up. She left Loki about a month back, graduating from his training and leaving with a new determination. But something had changed in her._

_In one of her 'spirit trips' something had broken her, torn her deeply._

_She had seen Sesshomaru and Gensoumaru's fight. She had seen a woman who had fallen in love with Sesshomaru before come and go. She had been there when Sesshomaru and all her friends had fought Naraku on the border of the netherworld. Lee had also seen Gensoumaru come back at him and try to break the bond he had with Lee._

_The sad thing is: Sesshomaru hadn't fought._

_The sad thing is: their bond….was broken._

_Gensoumaru walked away intact._

* * *

She doesn't know how long it's been. Things have definitely changed since they left the mountain school and the guru. Ryu was like her best friend, they have been welcomed into Inuyasha's group as if they had all been friends for life, and their search for Naraku has become a group effort.

Moriko silently looks back on the past few weeks and smiles. It was all like a dream to her; and a nightmare. Sure she had new friends now, but at what cost?

Since they had split up at the mountain where they had protected Lee while she healed herself, she hadn't heard from Lee. Not a word. She hadn't even seen her either.

Sure she has new friends now, but how can she forget about Lee?

It's like the girl has disappeared into thin air.

Moriko and Ryu stand silently up on top of the cliff out of sight, just as Inuyasha had asked them to. He wanted them to jump in if he needed to get the others out of there in case he couldn't do it himself. So far, he was doing just fine on his own.

Kagura, the wind sorceress, had been yelling at the young boy they had come to know too well as Kohaku not long ago but then a young child called Hakudoshi appeared out of thin air and she forcefully sent Kohaku away on a giant feather.

Now she faces Hakudoshi head on with a death glare glowing in her eyes and the boy just stares back with an amused look on his face.

Out of nowhere, the red shield around Hakudoshi glows and Kagura's wind is thrown back at her. Inuyasha, finally showing up, swings his sword and his Wind Scar hits the attack, saving Kagura from a quick death from her own wind.

"What's going on, Kagura? Why are you and Hakudoshi fighting?" He demands.

"I don't have time to explain in to you." She growls.

Hakudoshi starts to disappear, but Inuyasha bares his sword and releases his newest attack, the one he had gained while on the boarder of the Underworld. "Adamant Barrage!"

Nothing but thousands of crystals tear into the air after Hakudoshi's vanishing form, but they don't hit their target in time.

He skids to a stop in front of his former enemy, quickly accepting her as a comrade.

Moriko and Ryu glance at each other, sharing the same thought.

_He never changes._

"That never ceases to amaze me." Mori whispers.

"He seems to keep learning nonstop. It makes me feel weaker than I should." Ryu whispers in response.

"Don't. It was you who defeated Hakudoshi's demon horse, Entei, and gained his form. That isn't nowhere near weak." Mori lectures him, refusing to take her eyes away from the battle.

Ryu steals a glance at her. She's grown so much more mature during her training with the guru, revealing a side of her that he wasn't lucky enough to see. Sometimes he feels so envious of Daichi. He had been able to see all those sides of her, while he only got to see her childish, carefree side. It makes anger boil in his blood.

He can't tell her this though. She only sees Daichi; her heart will always belong to him. He doesn't have a chance.

It's true, Ryu has always had a soft spot for Mori ever since she came to the Caver Village, but he's never let on about it.

Below them, a loud blast pulls his attention back to the battle. A new person has appeared. A man with some strange demon attached to what was left to his shoulder. What was his name again?

"Goryomaru?" Kagome exclaims.

"He's alive?" Miroku adds.

"Where are those wounds from?" Hakudoshi asks the man.

"It's not important." Goryomaru responds flatly. His body disappears into a unearthly smoke and when it disappears, a giant being is in his place.

"No! Goryomaru is really Moryomaru?" Kagome gasps, gripping her bow even tighter in horror.

Mori and Ryu budge uncomfortably. Their eyes shift anxiously from the others to Inuyasha, waiting for his signal. The signal that meant he wanted them to get Kagome and the others out of there. Sango had gone after Kohaku when he had disappeared into the sky so that only left Kagome, Miroku, and Shippo to take care of.

"Take these. They should help." Hakudoshi guides the sacred jewel shards through the air until Moryomaru can grab them and place them in the gaping wound in his gut.

"No!" Miroku and Kagome shout.

The wound seals up and black wings shoot out of his back, lifting up into the sky as he gets ready to take off.

"He'll get away!" Moriko is about to run down the hill, but Ryu grabs her arm to stop her.

"We can't. You know we promised Inuyasha to stay out of sight so Hakudoshi won't know he has back up. We only promised to move on his signal."

"Darn it, Inuyasha! Give us the stupid sign already!" Mori grumbles as she returns to her hiding spot.

"Be patient." Ryu chuckles.

Inuyasha races forward, sword prepared to swing, but Moryomaru opens his giant mouth and a deep, poisonous gas spills out like thick mud and veils him in a curtain of fog. Inuyasha abandons his attack and leaps back to avoid the gas. When they all look, Moryomaru is gone; Hakudoshi left in his place.

Inuyasha gets annoyed and releases another Adamant Barrage at him, but the small boy vanishes again and like magic appears behind them, grabbing Kagura by the arms and lifts her away from Inuyasha's protection.

"Hakudoshi!" The half-demon yells.

"Attack me, Inuyasha. You'll have to hit Kagura along with me." Hakudoshi chuckles darkly. "I never thought I'd have to use you as a shield, Kagura."

"Damn you, Hakudoshi!" Kagura spins around, the shield around them keeping her from falling to the ground, and send a wind blade to tear him in half.

"Man, who's on whose side anymore?" Moriko whispers mostly to herself.

"I've been wondering the same thing for a while now." Ryu answers quietly.

Kagura spins back around to glare at Inuyasha. "Listen, Inuyasha, Naraku's heart is in the small infant, inside Moryomaru. Hakudoshi is going to use Moryomaru to overthrow Naraku."

Hakudoshi laughs. "As if Naraku could fight back. The infant and I are both the originals. We **will** be the ones to end Naraku. We are the only ones who have the power to do so." His eyes then shift to Kagura's. "You, Kagura, could never do that. Naraku holds your heart, so you will never be free. You will never be able to take down Naraku."

Kagura snaps, the words hitting a very sensitive nerve, and she attacks him again with her wind. "Shut up!"

He laughs in amusement again. "Attack my body all you wish. Your attempts are futile. I will never die."

Suddenly out of nowhere, the shield around them disappears, leaving nothing but open air for Kagura to fall through.

Hakudoshi's eyes go wide in shock. "What? What's going on?"

"I'll get him!" Miroku starts to remove the beads from around his wrist, but Hakudoshi moves quickly, calling the Saimyosho to his aid.

"Go ahead and try, monk!" He challenges, but anyone can hear the desperation in his voice. Then, just like the shield he once had, the insects disappear from his side. "Wh-Why aren't you protecting me?" He cries.

"It seems Naraku has abandoned you as well, Hakudoshi." Kagura smirks from her safe landing not to far below him.

"No!" Hakudoshi's torn apart body blasts out a miasma to hide himself.

"That's no problem." Kagome smiles triumphantly. "I'll purify that." She lets a sacred arrow fly and it pierces the smoke, causing it to vanish into nothing.

Hakudoshi's head comes out of the last remain remnants of his cover and he flies at Kagura with murder in his eyes.

"Kagura, move!" Inuyasha snaps.

"Move!" Moriko screams unconsciously. Ryu grabs her and pulls her out of sight behind the rock keeping them hidden.

"Are you insane?"

Moriko fights against him, her screams muffled behind his hand, but he holds he secured against him.

Back on the battle field, Miroku has opened his Wind Tunnel up wide and the vacuum has Hakudoshi tightly in its grasp.

"No!" He yells. "It can't end like this!" His cries are cut off when he disappears and the black hole it closed up, being secured by the protective beads.

Kagura collapses to her knees, sighing in relief.

With everything quiet, Ryu and Moriko come out of hiding slowly to make sure it's safe. Inuyasha motions for them to come down and join them and both of them leap down the mountain cliff easily to do so. Shippo quickly hop scotches over to Moriko's shoulder and she hugs him in greeting. Ryu musses the small fox demon's hair.

Inuyasha and Kagome approach Kagura slowly, but Moriko and the rest stand back warily.

"Kagura?" Kagome calls.

"Don't ask me to thank you because I won't." Kagura brushes her off proudly.

"I wasn't going to, but…" The girl pauses. "You have nowhere to go and Naraku will be looking for you. Why don't you come with us?"

"No thanks." The wind demon cuts off her invite quickly. "I won't go with you." She pulls out a white feather from her hair and takes to the sky.

"Kagura!" Inuyasha calls after her. "We'll get your heart back from Naraku while we're at it! You better not die before then!"

Kagura glances back at him briefly before sighing in defeat. 'I know that, Inuyasha.' She thinks to herself. 'I will run as far as I need to.'

"You think she'll be okay?" Moriko asks staring off after her as she disappears into the sun lit sky.

"She's too stubborn to die." Inuyasha scoffs, crossing his arms. "She'll be fine."

"I hope you're right." Kagome replies.

Moriko continues to stare off in the direction the woman had flown. She may be stubborn but Moriko knows that Naraku will know of her betrayal. He will be watching her even more closely now. Something bad could happen.

A bad feeling settles into her gut and she sighs.

'If only Lee were here.' She thinks to herself. 'She would know what to do.'

Something nicks the edges of her senses and Moriko stiffens up in response, spinning around to glance behind her at the rocks leading into the canyons beyond with a gasp.

"What's wrong?" Shippo asks curiously. Ryu touches her shoulder.

"Mori?" Kagome asks.

The feeling is gone. Moriko's eyes narrow suspiciously. Whatever it had been, it was gone.

"Nothing." She answers, her voice low and flat; unsure. "Wishful thinking." She finishes with a smile.

* * *

"Kohaku?" He hears her scream out again. He sinks farther into the darkness of the canyon as she flies by over head.

"Please, just leave, sister." He pleads quietly to himself. His heart beats heavily in his chest. He doesn't want to be anywhere near her. Not now. He's guilty of so much. She would turn away from him if she saw him, and yet there she is still searching for him with so much hope in her eyes.

Why?

Out of nowhere, the ground starts to crack behind him. Kohaku spins around in surprise and Moryomaru appears like a shadow, that sickly black darkness swirling around him like a disease. He stares down at the boy blankly.

"Kohaku, don't try to run. I will have your jewel shards no matter what. I will make your death quick and easy."

"No!" Before he can move, Moryomaru grabs him up with his shifting hand that starts to slowly meld over him like slimy clay, preparing to absorb him and the jewel shard in his neck. "Stop! No!"

Like a flash of light, something zips by between them with an odd high pitched sound. Moryomaru stops his advance and glances around for the source of the attack, but there is no one around. The canyon is completely empty.

A sharp pain overtakes Moryomaru's arm and it shatters like rocks, releasing Kohaku. The giant screams in pain and Kohaku stares up at him in shock.

'What just happened?' He wonders.

A second before all this had taken place, Sango had been flying through the air, searching desperately for her younger brother, but come up with nothing. She sighs in defeat, a quiet sob escaping her chest. Then Kirara, growls loudly, getting her partners attention.

"What is it Kirara?" She asks, following the feline's gaze. Far below them, high up on the cliff of the canyon, a bright shining gleam flashes a couple of times. "What is that? Let's go Kirara!" The feline roars and takes off into the canyon, where they find Kohaku facing Moryomaru.

Grinding her teeth angrily, Sango raises her weapon and shouts loudly. "Hiraikotsu!" The boomerang-type weapon spins like a blur and attacks Moryomaru head on, splitting him square through the gut and parting him. Moryomaru doesn't even seem to cry out in pain or notice it for that matter.

"Sister, stay back!" Kohaku warns, glancing at her from over his shoulder.

Sango gasps in surprise. 'He…remembers?'

Kirara lands and Sango jumps to the ground, running towards Kohaku, but Moryomaru pulls himself back together and moves first. His fist back hands Kohaku and throws him back into Sango who catches him as she too is thrown. They hit the ground hard against the rocks of the canyon.

Not far behind, Inuyasha and company show up and Kagome goes to help the siblings to their feet and begin to check them for injuries.

"Are you okay?"

Inuyasha skids to a stop in front of them, baring his sword. Moryomaru comes at them again only this time Inuyasha is ready for him. His sword begins to glow with energy.

"Not so fast, Moryomaru!" He raises his blade and crystals begin to cover the full length of it. "Now that we know you harbor Naraku's heart, we can't let you escape. ADAMANT BARRAGE!"

The attack comes at the giant at full force but Moryomaru quickly disappears to avoid the attack; vanishing from the battle all together. Inuyasha drops his sword and it hits the ground as he grunts in annoyance.

"You gotta be kidding me!" He complains. "How many times are we going to loose these guys?"

"Kohaku? You remember, don't you?" Sango asks, ignoring Inuyasha all together. "Please say you remember me!" She grabs her brother by the shoulders and rocks him gently, desperation tainting her voice.

"Yes." The younger boy answers almost sadly, turning his face away. How can he look at her. "But it is because I remember that I can't be with you. I have to leave."

Before he can pull away, Sango stops him. "No! I won't let Naraku have you! I can't give you up again." Tears stream down her face ceaselessly.

Kagome places a hand on Kohaku's shoulder. "Kohaku, do you think staying away will really help? Sango has been worried sick about you since the beginning. I know you could never be replaced in her heart."

"Yeah, not even Miroku can fill that gap in her heart." Shippo says from Miroku's shoulder.

"Yes, he's right. I'd hope that I could never be replaced in her heart as well." The monk adds.

Kagome and Shippo send him annoyed looks.

"What?"

Kohaku closes his eyes and allows himself to unwind and relax into his sisters embrace. For so long he's wanted to be with her again. She's all the family he has left.

* * *

High up on the ridge, staring down at the happy group below in the canyon, stands a dark figure whose face is hidden behind a long red scarf that twists in the winds around her. Dark eyes watch them without a single expression, the face much the same.

"That's one down." She says, voice as dark as her eyes. "She did say that the brother was important, so now he's in protective hands until I can find out why."

She turns away and disappears in the distance.

* * *

**_Author's Note_**

_So how was it? Any good? PLEASE LET ME KNOW._

_The girl at the end is going to show up again too, so remember her._

_Thanks again to all the people who faved, alerted, and at least read this story. You guys are awesome! _

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __review!_ _(Please__**, they are welcomed!)**_


	33. Chapter 33

_I do apologize to all my readers for the terribly long wait!_

_I hope you will all forgive me for procrastinating so long._

_On a good note, I found me a job back in July, but sadly they now have me working all day every day all week except for Sunday which I now use as the day to finish my homework since I'm also going to school full time as well. UGH!_

_Life sucks, but we gotta deal with it right._

_Anyway:_

_Read and enjoy. __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed.)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**(Part 2)**

Chapter 33-

'_Names…what are they? What do they mean?_' She thinks to herself. She raises her hands up, staring at the creases that weave like threads across her palms; threads of an identity she is losing to...

Losing to what exactly?

Time?

Hate?

Darkness?

That she doesn't know. All she knows is that her memories are slowly disappearing along with her identity. She has to find her soon or all of it will be lost. The next question is: who is 'she'? That too is something she has forgotten. She can't seem to bring back that knowledge no matter what she does. It's all because of this…newcomer that has joined her since her memories started to vanish.

This newcomer, like an invisible entity, hangs over her and around her all the time. She's always throwing her anger at it to get rid of it, but that only seems to make it laugh with amusement. Nothing she does seems to chase off her unwanted guest. It's rather annoying.

She raises her eyes up to the top of the small cave in the mountain side; her refuge from the thundering down pour spilling down from the dark sky outside. There it is still, a throbbing shadow that flickers under her gaze. It almost seems to smile at her as if it's daring her to try and attack it again. She quickly learned that nothing she does can hurt it or scare it at all. It's a none existent being. Nothing can touch it.

Across her back, her Ragnarok quivers with anticipation-wanting to be drawn and bared to any threat.

Her weapon is just another object of mystery. She doesn't remember ever acquiring it.

Mysteries, questions, uncertainties…

All of these seem to be the only things she knows. They're the only things she's chasing. More than anything, she wants answers. To everything. If she found them, she'd be happy and content once more…but was she happy before?

Again, more questions.

She lowers her eyes back to the floor at her feet; dirty, cut, and bruised from her many days of traveling none stop. It's not like it hurts. Why doesn't it hurt? Shouldn't it?

Her ears pick up the faint let up of the rain. Surely no normal person could have heard the change, so why can she?

The shadow above her moves, shivering down from the ceiling to rest on the wall off to her left. Why does she sense its movements?

When it comes to its rest, it lengthens and shifts-something it's never done before. Of course it's got her attention instantly, her mind is very easily distracted lately and it appears to be getting worse as the hours go by.

Something tells her to get to her feet. Something else tells her to run, but that little voice is so far away. The other voice telling her to rise to her feet calls her forward. That's when she hears it. An even familiar voice.

"…_is it…_"

'_What?_'

"_Your…wh…is it…_"

She shakes her head at the shadow, keeping her face blank, and watches as it changes and the center of it fades and begins to glow. Pretty soon the hardening surface becomes clear and flat, revealing…her.

A mirror.

How can a shadow become a mirror?

Again the voice calls to her, this time as clear as the mirror before her.

"_Your name…what is it?_"

She takes a step away from it, momentarily stunned, but then she stubbornly sets her footing and answers it. "You tell me."

"_You do not know?_"

She doesn't answer.

"_I see._"

"Do you know?"

The voice doesn't answer. But another does. One that is as deep as the shadow that has been following her and just as silky.

"Why find a lost name? Just give yourself a new one; one that you choose." It says.

It's a man's voice.

"What do you mean?" She asks, staring at herself in the mirror. Something doesn't feel right about the image staring back at her. Something's off.

"What name do you want?"

"My name."

The voice laughs. "What is your name?"

She lowers her head, eyes falling to the floor again. "I…I don't know."

"Then why go looking to the past that obviously was not meant for you to know? Look to a future that you have laid out before you." The shadow mirror shimmers and blurs revealing a man so dark and beautiful it stuns her heart and yet scares her all at the same time. "Come to me. I will give you a future of power and success. One that you will be proud to lead."

Again, she takes a step back. "And if I refuse?"

He laughs. "There is no force. You may come find me if you wish. It is completely up to you."

The mirror blurs again, revealing her, but the man appears behind her, standing nearly a head taller than she is, with long dark brown hair and red eyes-like blood. She looks at herself in the mirror again only this time she doesn't look off. She looks complete standing beside him. She looks…right, but something else stirs in her heart. Fear. Defiance.

She knows that something about the offer is wrong.

"What do I get in return?"

"Immortality." Is the last word he says before he and the shadow mirror disappear from her view, along with that dying, familiar voice that screams in panic.

* * *

Gensoumaru stops dead in his place; mid-run. He stares up in horror as Naraku uses those deadly vine arms of his to slice into Kagura's body high up in the sky. She trembles in pain and the feather she flies on loses some of its altitude.

Even from far down on the ground, Gensoumaru can hear Naraku's toxic words to her.

"You have no need to worry. I was careful to avoid your heart. You have your freedom just as you have wished. And you have no need to fret about your link to me-you will soon be replaced." With a threatening laugh, he disappears, leaving Kagura to grasp onto her chest and weakly fly away.

'Why would he destroy her?' Gensoumaru thinks. 'Why would he give up the wind? Who could he replace her with that was stronger?'

* * *

It has been a week since the dark offer had been given to her. She's lost even more of herself since then. The other voice that had sounded so familiar to her has continued to try and call to her, but it's getting farther and farther away. It's so hard to hear it now.

She calls back to it over and over to tell it that she can't understand what it's saying anymore, but the voice only screams in frustration every time. The voice is dying. She can tell.

The last time she had spoken to the voice and it had been clear was when the shadow mirror had once again shown up to her when she asked for it and she had once again seen herself in the reflection. Her eyes had gotten darker.

That's when her reflection had actually spoken back to her.

"_Your name…what is it?_"

"I don't know." She growls at the unknown voice speaking through her reflection.

"_Please remember! Find me!_"

"Find you?"

That's when the shadow mirror has suddenly disappeared; rushing away from her as if it was called back to where ever it came from. The familiar voice screamed again.

It was that same scream again that had woken her up tonight. She sits up off the floor of the new cave home she has chosen for herself. It's harder for her to tell where she is anymore. It's harder for her to find her way.

All she can hope for is for the mirror to come back to her so that she can see her reflection once more. She wants it more than anything; to know that she is somebody and that her identity is out there somewhere. She just has to keep looking for it.

Like those people she's ordered to continue to help. The dark haired woman, a priestess, had come to her not to long ago and told her that the people were the key to unlocking the weapon that could destroy the evil that was throwing the world out of balance. She told her that it was important for her to carry out every task she gave her, but she's still wondering why she has to do the priestess's work for her.

Right now, she's busy trying to figure out who she is. She doesn't have time to be worried about a great evil taking over the world. She could deal with that later.

Climbing to her feet, she turns her tired eyes to the cave roof, seeking the shadow mirror. She could always call for it and it would come to her without a second thought, but nowadays it comes to her with a slight hesitation.

"Come to me. I want to see me." She calls out with barely a whisper. The shadows shift but nothing more. "I said come. I call you."

Again the shadows don't answer.

Panic fills her. What would she do if she can't see herself; to be reassured that she still exists somewhere?

"Come to me!" She demands louder.

Nothing.

"No!" She slams her hand against the hard stone of the walls around her. "I need to see! Show me! Come!"

Again, nothing.

"PLEASE!"

Her screams echo around her and she breathes heavily, falling to her knees weakly. Her eyes shift crazily around the shadows above her, searching, waiting. Why won't it come? Where can it be?

"Please!" She cries, a sob breaking her voice. "Please, please, please!" She squeezes her eyes shut and drops her forehead onto the cold, wet floor of the cave. "Please…I need to see. Please, come to me."

Her body shakes from panic and need, filling her with dread. Her pleas echo around her as if the cave is imprinting her voice here for the rest of time.

"All you had to do was ask." Comes the dark, smooth as black silk, voice.

She jerks her head up, her eyes straining desperately to see the mirror, and there and it is. Only this time, she can't see herself. She can only see him. Him and his red as blood eyes.

She raises onto her knees. "I want to see! Please let me see!" She begs him like a dog begging to come out of the rain. "Please."

"Are you still so concerned with who you were?" He asks with an amused smirk.

"It lets me know I have an identity." She answers, tears burning her eyes.

"Ah, but you already have an identity, my dear. You can give it to yourself. All you need to do is reach for it." He lifts his hand and there floating in his palm is a red glowing light that swirls with a gray wispy cloud around its edges.

"What…?" She stares at the orb, it's unknown origins calling to her, and she unconsciously crawls towards it until she's about a foot from the mirror.

"This is the identity I can give you." He promises as his voice becomes that much more drawing. "I can give you so much more than this though. My offer still stands to you. I can give you immortality. You can live forever by my side."

Immortality. She lets the offer run through her head. A familiar voice, distant and dying, screams at her again but she can't hear the words.

Immortality. With that she'd have all the time in the world to look for 'her'; her lost self. She'd have forever to find out all her answers. She'd be able to find out who she is and who this screaming voice is in her mind-always in her mind.

"I can see you need more time to let it sink in." His face begins to fade as the mirror disappears.

"NO!" She screams, reaching out to it, but hesitating to touch it.

"Ah, but you do. I can see it in your eyes." He lowers the red orb out of her sight and her heart cries with loss.

"No, please! Let me see!"

"I will return when you are ready to join me." His voice dies away, leaving her to curl up on the floor again in agony and scream. She watches with blurry eyes as the mirror fades, but not before she catches a glimpse of her reflection, blurred and fading like smoke before her. She reaches for it in alarm, clawing at it to keep from losing it, but the shadow mirror rushes away from her again, leaving her to cry out on the stone floor.

* * *

"Gensoumaru." Naraku calls out leisurely into the darkness as the mirror in front of him disappears into the floor.

From the shadows he steps out and blows low onto one knee. "Yes."

"We will be having a new guest soon. Set up a new place in _that_ room. I'm sure she will be happy to have a new roommate."

"A…new guest, sir?" Gensoumaru is caught off guard by the new information. It has been a little over a week since Naraku finished off Kagura, the wind demon, and ever since then Naraku has spent much time in front of the mirror he created from the dark power he harbors. He watches a girl. That's all he knows. He's never gotten close enough to see who the girl was, but she didn't look like anyone he knows.

Her hair was dark and wet most of the time and her clothes were torn, most of her body wrapped up with a dark red scarf that she never seems to be without when he sees her in the mirror. Whoever she is, Naraku seems fit to call to her every time he gets. Something about her is powerful enough for Naraku and the dark man wants it in his possession as soon as possible.

Gensoumaru nearly jumps out of his skin at Naraku's response.

"Yes. She will be the death of this world and the queen of my new one."

* * *

"We have got to be lost." She mumbles tiredly to her weapon, slung across her back. Ragnarok hums quietly in response as the rain beats against both of them from the sky. It's been raining quite a lot lately, always seeming to follow her where ever she goes. She's afraid to leave the mountains.

At least here, she can have a cave to duck into whenever she needs to. Sometimes the pain gets too hard to handle and she just has to bury herself deep in one of these caverns and scream out the agony. This pain has gotten worse since her first encounter with the mirror and it's only gotten more unbearable since it disappeared last time-nearly another week ago.

How much time will she have to drag herself on? When sill she be able to finally rest?

Again, the pain hits her and she falls to her knees, gripping both hands on her kimono top over her heart. It beats painfully in her chest, desire and need to see the mirror again clawing at its weak points. She drags herself towards the nearest boulder, sharp rock digging into her legs and palms. Her breath comes out in short, labored breathes as she finally reaches the wall and uses it to climb back to her feet shakily. She can't stop here.

She shakes her head and her wet hair beats against her face.

Where can she go?

Her eyes shift about nervously, searching for shelter.

A small jagged gash in the mountain wall, barely big enough for her, catches her eye nearly a foot off the ground. She stumbles over to it and climbs up inside, pulling off her weapon so she can sit comfortably while she waits for the pain to subside.

Inside, the cold has her shivering uncontrollably against the already cold rocky walls.

That's when it appears before her on the opposite wall, swirling around to form an oval about a foot long. She doesn't really register it until her reflection appears and her breath catches in her throat.

She looks pale now. Her eyes are nearly black.

"What's happening to me?" She whimpers to herself under her breath.

"I can help you."

Her reflection fades and there he is again, red eyes and all.

"All you need to do is ask."

"Ask what?" She shivers again as his voice brushes over her, something it's never done before.

"Ask for my help of course." He smirks.

"Why? Why would you help me?" She leans away from the mirror, curling her back up against the wall again and drawing her knees up close to her chest. It doesn't do anything against the cold.

"Because you're special." Is his blunt answer.

"How?" She sniffs from under her arms that she now uses to wrap her knees. Something brushes across her arms again and she jerks her head up. Long wisps of shadows are swirling out of the edges of the mirror and trace her arm gently.

What makes her gasp in shock is the fact that they're so warm. Her body reacts to it automatically; unwinding a little and letting the wisps have more access to her shoulders and torso. They wrap around her like warm fingers and she shivers again.

"You are special because I say you are." He answers.

She looks up at the mirror and locks her gaze with his.

"Will you help me?" She finally forces out.

The shadows around her pull and call her forward gently again and she can't help but lean closer to the mirror. There's only a foot between them now.

"As you wish." His chuckle is dark, but all she can hear and feel is the warmth it gives off; like fire.

He reaches forward, the red glowing orb floating in his hand again, and the shadow mirror bulges as it comes through. His skin is paler than hers, but again all she can see is the orb now presented to her. It pulses with power and promise.

Without a second thought, she slides her hand into his warm and silky palm and the orb rushes into her, making her gasp again and jerk for a second.

The power burns her terribly, but it's soon washed over with a comforting cool that melts into her every fiber.

Her body trembles from the power.

"Now come to me."

She leans towards his gaze, pushed forward by some unknown force, and she's swallowed up by the mirror.

* * *

He had felt the second the new presence entered their home. It was new to him and yet, somehow, very familiar and welcoming. His first thought was that it was just another incarnation that Naraku was working on, but then he thought otherwise.

Gensoumaru stands up out of his meditation and glides out into the long dark hallway. Naraku keeps it dark in here, ever since he swallowed up this dark power he now wields. The power is changing him, even Gensoumaru can see that.

He doesn't know what the dark power promised him, but it doesn't seem natural.

A small voice murmurs from off to his right and he follows it down to the next intersection. At the end of the hall to the right, a dim light is glowing from behind the room where the other girl sleeps; if she does sleep.

Gensoumaru doesn't know much about her, only that Naraku raised her from the dead like he did with Kohaku.

She usually spends most of her time here in this room, since Naraku hasn't seen fit to let her go out yet, and the rest of the time it's silent as the dead.

As he approaches, the voices become more clear.

It's Naraku.

"Gensoumaru, come meet our new guest."

Following the order, Gensoumaru slides open the door and bows low to one knee, and ducking his head. "You called."

"Meet our new guest. She has chosen the name Kira." Naraku chuckles.

Gensoumaru lifts his gaze, expecting what he usually had to see-Naraku used the dead girl's aura for himself, biting her and sucking her dry whenever he saw fit, but somehow the girl seemed to crave it now.

What he didn't expect to see was the new sight.

The dead girl, her eyes still as flat black as they have ever been, sits up on her knees, clinging to Naraku's leg, and stares up with desire as Naraku clutches his new prize.

This one is the girl he saw from the mirror.

Her dark hair is still soaked with water, probably rain, but her clothes are different, obviously Naraku's doing. She wears a black kimono with his signature red color trimming it and the kimono covers her down to a little above her knees. Her feet are bare, just as her shoulders, and the kimono barely hangs on to her small form. The only thing holding it into place it the dark red scarf that she has wrapped around her waist and it dangles down to her ankles as she stands against him.

Naraku pulls her tightly up against him, though she doesn't seem to fight against his hold, and he bites into her neck, draining a bright red light out of her and into himself.

The girl tilts back her head gently as his fingers thread into her hair and hold her there. Her eyes are shut softly, quickly becoming addicted to Naraku's custom visit to this room.

Naraku finally pulls away from her neck, effectively getting her body to shiver as he lowers her casually to the floor where she sits on her feet in exhaustion. It's not too long later that she lifts her eyes up again, begging with need just like her roommate.

Gensoumaru jerks at the sight of her eyes.

They're red, flat and dull, with no pupil what so ever; so much like the dead girl's black eyes.

Naraku now owns her will as well.

"W-who…is she?" Gensoumaru asks in shock, unable to pull his eyes away from her face-her beautiful face.

"She is the one we have been craving for. Her memories seem to be lost, but that only makes it better for us. I don't know what has caused her downfall, but in our hands she shall flourish." Naraku lifts his victorious gaze to his and Gensoumaru finally meets those red eyes.

"With her, no one will stop me from acquiring what I want."

* * *

_So this chapter was one of my least favorites so far, no only because the new girl that I've introduced has been tricked into joining Naraku, but also because my friend has made me write another stupid smut scene. I swear this is getting old fast._

_Anyhoo, I do apologize again for the long wait and hope I haven't lost any readers in the recent months._

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __review!_ _(Please__**, they are welcomed!)**_


	34. Chapter 34

_Holy crud, can you say 'majorly late update'?_

_So sorry. I blame a full-time work AND school schedule._

_Please forgive me (bow)._

_Anyhoo, this chapter isn't very long, but I hope it will suffice. Our girl in the chapter may be Lee, but we don't know for certain yet if it is. She may have the looks of our beloved heroine, but let's not get our hope up just yet._

_Also, Rin nearly gets sucked into the Underworld by Sesshomaru himself, but don't panic, he doesn't do it on purpose. I promise. At least, I hope he didn't….heh heh…_

_Okay…_

_Anyway:_

_Read and enjoy. __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed.)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**(Part 2)**

Chapter 34-

"We're lost." Rin sighs.

"No we're not!" Jaken yells at her, pulling Aun forward down the road by the reins. "Lord Sesshomaru had to take off after the demon so we have to follow behind him. He would not leave us behind. We just have to keep following him." He huffs, slowing his pace until his feet start dragging the ground.

Rin sighs again. "Then we should start following him in that direction, Master Jaken." She points to the sky to the east. "He said 'I know this scent' and took off in that direction. So shouldn't we go in that direction?"

Jaken stops, glances from her to the east and then back to her. "I know that you stupid girl!" He flails his arms and starts pulling Aun in the other direction. The dragon beast rolls its eyes but willingly follows along with a huff.

Suddenly the wind picks up and Rin's hair flips around wildly. "Wow!" She pulls it back into place and flips it behind her ears. "Master Jaken, what was that?"

"How should I know?"

Rin laughs and rubs her hair down again as the wind picks up once more; this time it was fiercer. "Ah!"

When it settles down again, she looks up at the sky and gasps. Out of the starry darkness above, something drops out of nowhere and lands down in the middle of the field; crouching low to the ground. Rin grabs a handful of Aun's mane in shock but doesn't pull her eyes away from the hooded figure in the grassy plain.

The figure stands up and lifts flat, glowing red eyes towards them. Rin feels a jolt of recognition and a slow smiles creeps up onto her face.

"Jaken! She's back!"

"What?" He turns to face her, but she leaps off Aun's back and races off towards the figure. "Rin, wait! Who is that person? Stop, Rin!"

"It's you! Where have you been?" Rin laughs excitedly.

The figure turns to fully face her and raises her arm out to her side as if to embrace her and Rin races forward faster.

"It IS you!" Rin leaps up…

And is knocked away with such force that she's slammed into the grassy ground.

"Rin!"

Rin sits up off the dirt and rubs her cheek gently. Jaken appears at her side a moment later. Tears burn at the edge of her eyes, threatening to stain her face with fear and sadness, but she wipes them away and stares up at the dark figure before her with shock. The figure stares back down at her blankly, her eyes flat and emotionless, and darkness tainting her features. She looked like death itself.

"How dare you do that to Rin!" Jaken hobbles over to stand in front of Rin and raises his staff. "Feel the power of my staff!" As if on command, one of the heads on the staff opens its mouth and spits out an inferno of flame that spirals and engulfs the figure.

"Hahahaha!" Jaken laughs victoriously.

The flames burn red hot and incinerate everything in its path…everything except…

"Master Jaken!"

The imp stops jumping for joy and nearly falls over dead.

There, still in her place, is the figure that looks so much like their former ally. Rin watches as the figure raises her hand up again, aiming straight at Jaken's head and a red light begins to build in power at the center of her palm.

"NOOOO!" Rin cries.

The figure pauses, glancing at the small child. Rin climbs unsteadily to her feet, tears streaming down her face freely now, and she takes an unsure step forward.

"No. No." She repeats over and over again. "Lee."

The figure blinks once.

"Lee?" Rin takes another step towards the individual.

The figure reacts instantly, swinging her palm around and aiming it at the dark haired child instead this time.

"Lee, no!"

A flash of lightning strikes the ground right in front of Rin and when the flash goes away, there stands Sesshomaru; protectively in front of his small ward. The figure lowers her hand slowly, her face remaining the blank, emotionless, stare it was the second she appeared in the meadow. His presence doesn't appear to worry her a bit.

"Lord Sesshomaru, please help her!" Rin grasps his kimono tightly, squeezing her eyes shut against the reality before her. "She's not HER. Please, Lord Sesshomaru."

The great dog demon pulls his gaze from the small child at his side and shifts it to the dark figure before him. Her skin is flat and dusky, making her appearance look sick, her eyes, red like blood, are flat and dull with no pupil whatsoever, her hair is pulled into a high pony-tail as normal but the purple tie that she had forever tied it back with since he gave it to her is no longer there. Replacing it is a silk black ribbon, flapping behind her head in the wind she stirs around her.

His eyes lock onto that black ribbon; substituting his gift that he had given her. Agitation burns into his blood, but it's not only the sight of the ribbon-it's the smell illuminating from her.

Naraku.

His smell is all over her, masking the scent he has come to know so well. No. Not all of it. Her scent is still there, a slight sliver of a floral fragrance twisting and spiraling among that poison that covers it, threatening to snuff it out in an instant.

He takes a step forward.

Responding as fast as lightning itself, she flies back with ease, putting nearly half a football field between them.

A dark laughter echoes through the field and Rin gasps at his side in horror. Behind the figure, the air shudders and turns dark, shifting and disfiguring until it's like a black spiraling vortex.

"Beautiful, isn't it, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru forces his eyes off of the woman in front of the dark vortex and glares into the void. "It?" He spits the word.

Out of the maelstrom slither a face and an upper body. Bare of any clothes, Naraku grins evilly. "The new possession and control over her that I have. The domination over her aura and power is what I had desired for so long that it had formed a craving inside me so deep I had nearly gone insane. But now, it's mine. All of it." Naraku comes even farther out of the void, revealing more of his distorted form, and his hands thread into her hair and trace down her right arm.

To his disgust, Sesshomaru watches her body tremble and shiver, her eyes lowering and dulling even more. His claws extend at his right side. Again, he had started looking for a suitable replacement limb for his other missing arm, but he'd come up empty in his search.

Rin is shaking so bad at his side now, that it's become distracting.

"Rin, go to Jaken." He orders quietly.

The child doesn't move. He looks down.

The small youth is gripping his kimono with both hands, her eyes wide with horror and rimmed with tears and dark taints of red, her skin has paled white as if she had seen a ghost, and her whole body shudders.

'What must be going through her mind…' He ponders for only a second before turning back towards the scene in front of him.

Yet again, Naraku's gloomy laughter fills the air. "All of her, Sesshomaru. Her aura, her power, her life…and her body."

Sesshomaru tears his sword free from his sheath and Naraku's shield appears around the both of them.

"Attack if you will, Sesshomaru, but can you attack her?"

"I attack to kill you only, Naraku." He answers as he brings the blade down by his side.

"But can you kill me with her so close? Can you even kill me with _that_ sword?" He chuckles in amusement.

Sesshomaru glances down at Tensiega which hums in his hand, pulsing. 'What do you try to tell me, Tensiega?' He mentally asks the sword. It pulses louder in response.

"I hear that your sword can only bring people back to life. I wonder if it will help me become stronger."

Sesshomaru narrows his eyes, tightening his grip on the sword.

"Which do you care about more?" Naraku asks suddenly. His fingers run up her arm, sketching an unknown pattern up her neck, all the while glancing at Sesshomaru's sword. "Shall we make a trade? I let your little ward live…if you hand over your sword."

Sesshomaru's eyes widen a little as Rin gasps and vanishes from his side in a puff of black smoke. She reappears in the air, held up by her neck by a tangle of black smoky webs that entangle her body. She gasps and cries out over and over.

"No! Lord Sesshomaru!"

Naraku laughs harder.

Rin squirms and whimpers terribly in the dark energy's grasp, but all it does it tighten in response and threatens to rip open her throat. Sesshomaru grips his sword harder and then swings it sharply with smooth grace.

Behind them, the air splits open, revealing a gap in space that begins to suck things in like a vaccum. Naraku seems surprised by this for a long moment, but then he just smiles and chuckles.

"Learned a new trick have you, Sesshomaru? Good, that's just more power I will possess when your sword becomes mine."

The dark figure he clings to somehow pulls out a terrifying looking weapon out of nowhere and stabs it into the ground, stopping herself from being sucked into the void. Rin and the spider webs encircling her don't. They start to fly towards it!

"Ah! Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken exclaims.

Gritting his teeth, he holds the opening into the Underworld open as long as he can. The webs rip off of Rin's form, disappearing into the gap, and she lands onto the soft grass. He closes it soon after; Jaken falls over in relief.

Rin climbs up out of the grass and races to hide behind Aun, who snuffs with annoyance, but knows more than well the threat they face.

Naraku grins, but doesn't pursue her. "That will be all I think. I await the next time we shall meet, Sesshomaru. And do not forget to bring my sword." His evil laughter fades away as he does into the swirling vortex he had slithered out from and his dark figure follows after him.

"NO, LEE!" Rin calls, but she's already gone.

* * *

"Such power." Naraku states, smiling off into the distant hills out of the window.

"Which power sir?" Gensoumaru asks, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"Both of them. Light itself and the very essence, the very being, of an element." He explains. "With both of them, this world will be mine easily."

"I thought you only required the Sacred Jewel, Naraku."

"The Jewel is what will make me unstoppable and immortal. Those two are my reward and insurance."

Gensoumaru pauses for a second, risking a glance up at Naraku through his silver bangs. "And I?"

Naraku laughs. "Keep me satisfied and you too will be granted the immortality I offer."

He drops his head. "As you wish."

Not farther down the hall, inside the room where Naraku visits regularly, the two girls sit…waiting. Their ears search desperately. Their eyes shift anxiously. Their hearts pound expectantly. Their bodies stiffen impatiently.

The darkness swirls around them, tracing their figures and caressing them every so often, compelling them to shiver excitedly.

"As long as I have power over them, they will bow to my every wish, demand, and desire." Naraku continues. "No one will defeat me."

The one dark figure, the one who sits closest to the single mirror in the corner, leans against the wall and runs the tip of her finger over it, drawing unseen patterns, and following the reflection that copies her. Every now and then, the reflection will blur and she'll sit up to look directly into the mirror at the reflection. It will float deeper in, getting farther and farther away, reaching out to her.

She wonders fleetingly why the reflection would do such an odd thing. Why it would reach out to her as if it was calling to her. She could almost hear it…but what exactly she's hearing she can't be sure.

Time passes differently here than it does outside. Her master won't let her outside very often; he says it's dangerous for her now. He tells her she needs to be bonded to him completely before he can let her out. He had used a word, a word that, once his lips spoke it, she forgot it. She wanted to hear the word again. For some reason, even though she couldn't remember it once he spoke it, the word caused her body to sing.

She sighs and leans back against the wall, returning to her invisible drawings; drawings that she can never identify. They make her wonder though. Where did she learn to draw?

A sound as light as air quickens her heart rate and her eyes widen with a gasp that escapes her. She knows that sound. The sound is what she listens for continuously without rest.

He comes.

Her master.

The other girl in the corner reacts to the noise the same way she does. She doesn't know much about the girl, only that she was here with the master longer than she was. They both feed off his words and touch now.

A hot, blaze flashes through her over and over, sending shivers across her skin. She crawls across the floor a few feet before climbing to her feet quickly. He hasn't been here in what seems like forever, but she knows he was here this morning.

Each time the master comes, he brings with him such darkness, but leaves much too quickly. The darkness stays with them afterwards though, but it's not enough.

Sometimes, master brings his new follower Byakuya with him and he just sits in the corner. She finds it most bothersome.

All master does is bite them. Over and over. Only once each time he visits.

Those bites do more to them than when he touched them and blessed them with his power. But now, even his touch invokes whispers of his voice, his power, and it makes her tremble coldly.

His touch erases all her doubts and fears, leaving her only with a longing for that power to absorb her more.

The door to their room opens slowly and he materializes out of his darkness. He sets his eyes on her first and her body quivers under his gaze. Then his gaze moves from her to the other girl, leaving her empty and craving, and he motions for her to come to him. The other girl stumbles forward quickly and he takes her into his arms, the sleeve of his kimono flapping over them both and they disappear.

The door closes.

The room is colder. It has always been cold, but it's colder when he leaves. The darkness threads over her, small wisps of it slithering over her, trailing frozen trails over her skin.

She drops, dead, beside her mirror again and returns to her drawings. Her time is filled with this past time, nothing more unless master is here.

The door opens again.

She doesn't move though. His footsteps aren't like masters, but she knows them all the same.

He enters the room, closing the door carefully behind him. He waits for only a moment and then he heads in her direction. She can hear him kneel down beside her, but still she doesn't move. She waits for master.

"What has he done to you?"

His words baffle her. What do they mean? She stops her drawing and glances at him with blank eyes. His icy blue eyes bore into hers worriedly. The emotion is lost on her; she knows not what it is. Master usually doesn't let him enter their room.

"Can you even hear me anymore?" He lifts his hand and trails his fingers down her cheek. She snaps her hand up and grasps his hand tightly, ready to break it if necessary. Only master is allowed to touch them. That is his law.

His face falls even more, his hand vanishing in a cold, snowy wind and then reappearing. "I will free you." He leans towards her and her sharp glare falls to a blank stare again.

Free? What is that?

He tilts her face up a little and his lips touch hers, his breath washing over her face like a rush of warmth like she's ever felt. Or has she? The feeling is so familiar.

Her blank, dull eyes close slowly, confused.

He pulls away for only a split second. "Please don't forget me." He whispers harshly, trailing his lips across her cheek and down her neck. "Please don't forget him." He kisses her once more, full on the lips, gently.

"H...h-him…?" Her voice, one she hasn't heard in so long, is raspy and faint.

He pulls away, a glimmer of light in his eyes. "Yes." His smile is sad, longing, and lonely.

She doesn't understand. His emotions are confusing her, shadowing over her heart, whispering faint secrets of visions past, ones she can't pull out of the darkness beyond.

What is this?

He leaves then, leaving her alone.

Leaving her alone…with the darkness once more.

* * *

_So this chapter doesn't have any smut scenes in it (thank God!), but I did have to put some creepy obsession in there. Naraku has brain washed both of our girls and has made it where neither of them can live without him._

_What is this word he says that they can't remember?_

_What the strange reflection in that mirror?_

_And more importantly: where is Inuyasha?_

_I usually try to have him in every chapter…hmm._

_Actually at this point, he and the gang are at that kitsune school where all them little fox-demons are playing tricks on them and Shippo gets pulled into it as well._

_Anyhoo, I do apologize again for the long wait and hope I haven't lost any readers in the recent months._

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __review!_ _(Please__**, they are welcomed!)**_


	35. Chapter 35

_Here's another chapter for y'all. I really had fun writing this one. Want to know why?_

_One word: LIGHT SHOW!_

…_Well, okay, that was two…Sue me! I'm half asleep right now! Hahaaa._

_Anyway:_

_Read and enjoy. __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed.)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**(Part 2)**

Chapter 35-

Stepping through the darkness that caresses his skin, Naraku enters his room where Kanna waits patiently and quietly for him on the floor with her trusty mirror in hand.

"What waits for me, Kanna?" He asks, sitting down in front of her.

She turns the mirror ever so slightly, a shining glare obstructing the shiny surface from view for only a second, and a scene appears inside it. "Moryomaru is moving quickly into the territory of the two demons Ginka and Kinko. Although, why, I am not sure."

Naraku rubs his chin, watching the scene of Moryomaru flying through the air towards a stormy sky intently. It baffles him, Moryomaru's actions. Why would he enter the territory of those ever warring demons?

"Hmm…Byakuya."

The door to the room slides open and his new servant kneels on the floor at the doorway. "Yes, sir."

"I want you to follow after Moryomaru. Watch him closely and report back to me."

"As you wish."

"I want to know what he's up to." Naraku narrows his gaze at the mirror.

* * *

"La-la-la-lala! La-la-la-lala!"

"Rin, would you stop that horrendous singing!" Jaken complains, covering his ears again.

The young girl laughs softly. "Sorry, master Jaken."

The imp glances back at the girl. She hasn't been the same since she was hit by that figure who, he has to admit, resembled their former comrade to a tee. Rin has forced herself to act normal, but Jaken can tell that she's slowly losing her voice to the sadness inside her, caving in on herself.

"Don't apologize." He crosses his arms, keeping a firm grip on his staff. "Just keep it down and don't get too noisy anymore."

Rin pulls her eyes up off the ground in front of her and stares at master Jaken. A small smile touches her lips. She runs up behind him and wraps her arms around his short neck. "Thank you, master Jaken. I will try hard not to be too loud."

Jaken struggles to get out of her grip, but not as urgently as he normally does.

"I will hum instead." Rin presses her lips together and settles on humming the unknown song to herself rather than sing it out loud. Jaken can only grunt in response.

Ahead of them, Sesshomaru pauses, his nose picking up a familiar scent.

'This is Naraku's scent.' He thinks. Leaping off the ground quickly, he flies into the air and leaves his followers behind.

"AH! Lord Sesshomaru, please don't go flying off and…leaving us…here…again…" Jaken falls to his knees sighing in defeat.

Rin pats him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, master Jaken. He must have found a clue to where Naraku is."

Jaken's head bolts up, a bright smile gleaming on his face and tears in his eyes. "Rin, you're right! How wonderful Lord Sesshomaru is!" His laughter echoes into the trees like that of a crazy person.

Rin watches him worriedly. "Um…master Jaken? …Are you okay?"

Above them in the sky, Sesshomaru's eyes scan through the stormy sky and fall on a faint outline of a hulking figure far ahead of his, heading for the cliffs that jut out of a low lying valley of trees. He picks up speed and zeros in on the figure as it lands on a cliff in the valley, staring up at the flashing lightning that crashes across the sky. Sesshomaru lands in the trees to conceal himself from the figure.

He has long black hair and pointed ears; obviously a demon. His voice sounds too cold to be normal. "Moryomaru, what are you up to?"

The words shock Sesshomaru and he follows the man's gaze up into the clouds.

There high in the sky are two snake-like demons with the upper bodies look like that of a man battling it out for who knows what. Not far off is Moryomaru, soaring at high speed towards them and firing shards of that impenetrable armor at the demons, entangled by their tails.

"Who dares intrude on our battle?" One snaps.

And the battle swamps Moryomaru as well. Sesshomaru watches as Moryomaru catches them both in those vine like arms of his, but they attack back with fire and lightning, tossing him onto the surface of a cliff down below as if he's nothing at all to them.

"Hmm…" The dark haired man not far in front of him ponders out loud. "I wonder if Naraku's heart will be affected by that attack."

Sesshomaru attacks him, but the man dodges.

"Ho, ho, ho! You must be Sesshomaru. I've heard a lot about you. What is your purpose here?" The man asks with a perky little grin.

"You reek of Naraku." Sesshomaru answers. "What is _your_ purpose here?"

The man laughs. "Touché. I was just ordered to follow Moryomaru here to find out what his plan was. AS of right this moment, I'm not too sure."

Sesshomaru glances up a the cliff higher up and much farther away where Moryomaru is still fighting the two demons.

Those vine arms around the two loosen and as if ordered too by some unknown voice, they start to attack each other once more.

It all happens quicker than Sesshomaru expected, but one demon stabs the other and then Moryomaru kills the remaining one, drawing them both into his body.

"You fell for my trap. The second I loosened my grip, you began to fight each other like rabid dogs, giving me the perfect distraction to end you. Now you will become a part of me."

Sesshomaru leaps into the air and cuts open the air to suck in the dark haired man, but he flies back into the air to avoid it, landing on an origami bird that lifts him high out of his reach. Giving up on him, Sesshomaru goes after Moryomaru, but he's stopped by dozens of smaller origami's that block his path from attacking the beast.

"Sorry, Sesshomaru, but my orders were also to keep anyone from harming Moryomaru as well. It was very nice to meet you though." His perky laughter vanishes along with him and Moryomaru is already gone from his sight as the hole to the Underworld that he cut open with his blade closes and sucks in the last remaining origami birds.

'They evaded me.' He scolds himself. The wind blows strong from behind him and a familiar scent hits his nose, forcing him to spin around quickly. Atop another cliff farther away, he glimpses the dark figure that resembles Lee, but only long enough to find her staring off into the sky after Moryomaru with those blank eyes and then disappearing into a black vortex.

He releases the breath he doesn't know he's been holding, and he shakes his head a little.

Who was that woman?

It couldn't be _her_…

* * *

She steps out of the swirling portal, the dark power ruffling through her hair as it vanishes behind her slowly. She remains in the trees so the shadows will hide her. The dirt road leads down the river away from a very small hut that is hidden away under a bridge. The straw door flows in the breeze but reveals nothing but empty darkness beyond.

She wonders what it is about that darkness that calls to her; like a soft whisper in her heart.

The door brushes to the side and she ducks farther behind the trees. Out of it, steps a group of young people-one clad in a red kimono with dog ears, another wearing strange clothes and carrying a bow, one more wielding a long staff, and yet another dressed for demon slaying with a small fox-demon child clinging to her shoulder.

Her heart thunders in her chest and she clutches the cloth of her kimono over it. The sound thunders in her ears, blocking out all noise. It gets louder and stronger until it's painful.

It takes all her strength not to cry out.

That's when the darkness returns to her, brushing across her skin, beckoning her.

"Return. It is too dangerous for you to be this close." Calls her masters voice from out of the vortex. She nods and struggles to her feet, glancing back once more at the group who waves goodbye to an old geezer of a man and continues of their way.

Her eyes lock with the old geezer and his eyes narrow at her suspiciously.

"Come!" Master calls louder.

She enters the swirls and returns to the room he had sent her from. She instantly falls to her knees before him, fearing the glare his eyes stab at her. Her forehead touches the floor.

"What have you to report?" He asks, but she can tell the question is directed elsewhere.

The newest follower, Byakuya master calls him, bows at the doorway and answers. "Moryomaru succeeded in absorbing the two demons known as Ginka and Kinka. His armor seems to have grown stronger."

Naraku chuckles. "As I expected."

Byakuya glances up, surprised. "Sir?"

"I knew of Moryomaru's plan, but I didn't think he'd succeed this soon." His red gaze shifts to her. "And you?"

She keeps her forehead to the floor. "The sword you spoke of has indeed gotten stronger. The white-haired half demon you spoke of has been training."

Her voice again sounds rough and unused, but she ignores it; only feeling the need to please him more.

"Perfect. Go and return to your room until I have further need of you." Naraku waves his hand regally and she leaves, passing by Byakuya who narrows his eyes suspiciously at her.

"Sir, who is that girl you keep so close to you? What purpose does she have?"

She can hear Naraku's laughter as she recedes down the hall. "Her purpose is more important than you can imagine. Just watch me turn this world to ash."

* * *

Sesshomaru hadn't moved since they had left. He still stares down into the forest far below him from his perch on a tall rock that juts out of the treetops and reaches for the sky. The warm breeze blows his hair softly while a few birds tweet in the air around him. This late in the afternoon, they are remarkably loud.

He tries to ignore them so he can think, but their constant chatter is getting bothersome. How is he supposed to make sense off all he's seen with all this racket?

Closing his eyes, he decides to rely on memory.

From the time Lee had left them, he had felt and held their bond closely and sheltered it. The words he spoke before her were true. He, the Great Ruler to the Western Lands, had humbled himself to a human and given her his oath of protection. If anyone, especially that sorry excuse for a half-brother, Inuyasha, would laugh at him for stooping so low. Surprisingly, though, he didn't care. All of his thoughts were centered around Lee at the moment.

He had felt the exact moment when their bond broke under the pressure of another, and he hadn't fought it. He let it happen.

He can swear that he heard Lee's faint cry pierce through his mind from very far away. And then…all went silent. He felt nothing, no trace, of their bond anywhere.

He blinks open his eyes and turns them to the sky above. The storm clouds have vanished, revealing the azure world above. It's beyond amazing; like it's been reborn.

Sesshomaru watches as the last remaining dark cloud leaves the area and suddenly all the birds hush and go still. His senses raise to high alert.

Something is happening.

The ground begins to shake and tremble with a great power and out of nowhere, another large rock spike tears out of the forest bellow and thunders towards the sky like a spear. This rock appears different. He can feel an amazing power emanating from it, like the clear sky above spill light onto the ground it shelters.

His eyes observe the statue in wonder and find the top. A large round boulder sits on top.

'Now what can that be?' Her leaps off his rock and takes to the sky, flying to the tower's top and lands before the boulder in question. The glowing lights that flow over the tower are originating from this boulder, streaming away from it like waves of sunlight. The sight baffles him. What could cause such a phenomenon?

The boulder cracks, a simple split that spreads into many others across the surface and then all the way around it like spirals. As they split and crackle, the rock shifts and moves away as if it's a blooming flower.

And it reveals a hidden wonder even more breathtaking inside. A rose, made of nothing but those fluorescent rainbow colors, trembles and blows in the same manner the stone had, but much more graceful and elegant, exposing it's inner secret.

A woman, curled up in a ball of light that clings to her like cloth. She lifts her amazing azure hair, glittering with a dazzling array of lights, and slowly opens her beautiful golden eyes that shine like the sun. Her eyes lids look heavy as if she's been asleep for a very long time. Ever so carefully, she unfolds herself, the lights forming wispy clothes like wind around her. The lights fade into a kimono top that leaves her torso bare and flares out around her arms and a willowing skirt that barely reaches her knees. Golden bands encircle her legs and twirl across her feet and ring around her middle toes. She doesn't touch the ground; just floats there like a mystical being.

Sesshomaru knows better though. This woman is nothing like he's ever seen. She's no mortal-demon or human-and her power is not from this earth.

Her golden eyes stare at him intently for a long observing moment and then sleepily sweep across the valley of rocks. Gradually, sadness and worry like non he's ever seen stricken her fairy features.

She turns back to him.

"_What has happened here, young demon? Why do I sense such evil?_" Her voice is like musical wind chimes. Sesshomaru swallows.

"I have no idea what you speak of. Why were you inside the ground here?" He shoots back.

The woman's worry lessens just a little, replaced by a shining smile. "_I do apologize. It seems it has been awhile since I have fallen asleep._"

"Fallen asleep?"

She nods. "_Yes, I was of no more use in the world so I shut myself up in my temple and fell to sleep until I was needed again, but something had aroused me not long back. It has not been until now that I have fully awaken._"

"What awakened you?" Sesshomaru pursued.

"_Something has changed. Time itself has altered. The Guardian who was long lost has returned and is slowly awakening too._"

"Guardian?"

"_Yes, young demon. There are three Guardians who were assigned to protect this world, but we had to give up half of our immortality to set foot on this earth. Each Guardian has a domain. Mine is the skies above and I protect them with my very soul._" She explains, placing a small hand against her chest. Gold bands, like the ones around her legs, circle her forearms and twist around her middle fingers, creating intricate swirls and patterns across her skin.

Again, Sesshomaru takes a deep breathe, smelling the sweet scent that dances through the air around her, like fresh spring rain. He's never smelt anything so pure. "Who imprisoned you in this task?"

Her expression brightens with amusement. "_Oh, no! We were not imprisoned at all. We were deeply moved by a desperate prayer from a very gifted Priestess and we answered her call. And now here we are._" Once more, her eyes survey the valley and become troubled. "_How ugly this place has become. My temple is gone, my air is tainted by an evil I have never before faced. Tell me, young one, please, what has happened?_"

"You must be sensing Naraku." He shifts his gaze off to the horizon. "You say there are three of you."

"_Yes,_" She nods again, "_The Guardians of the Sky, Earth, and Sea. The three domains that make up your world, and each one holds the doorway to the Otherworlds; the skies to the Heavens, the Seas to the Spirit World, and the Earth to the Underworld of Hell. With this evil crawling, it will only be a matter of time before we have to step in. The others must be awakened with me._"

"Where are the others?" He asks.

"_Will take it upon you to find the rest of us? Will you awaken the other Guardians?_" She smiles hopefully like a newborn child, but he can see the unlimited wisdom in her eyes.

"I only wish for the end of Naraku." Sesshomaru answers defiantly.

The woman's smile is overpowering. "_I see._" She sweeps her hand over to her left, pointing off to the east. "_In the east, there is a lake as clear as diamonds themselves. A temple is submerged deep at the bottom of the hardest coral that cannot be broken. Inside you will find sleeping the second Guardian, the keeper of the Seas. Speak the name Serine and you will be lead through the waters unharmed._"

Sesshomaru returns to look at her, but already her form is fading as it raises to the skies above. "And your name?"

She laughs, a musical chorus of chimes and bells. "_Aura._"

* * *

_Arise of the first Guardian! WOOT!_

_What did I tell ya? LIGHT SHOW!_

_And I can't wait to introduce the Guardian of the Seas._

_Now, if you don't mind…*yawn*…I'm goin' to bed. Goodnight…_

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __review!_ _(Please__**, they are welcomed!)**_


	36. Chapter 36

_Okay, I know it's been a while…Okay, I admit it's been a REALLY long while, but I'll make it up to you I promise! I gave you a really long chapter…although it's not much different from the actual episode where they go off to kill Moryomaru, but it's different in the way that my characters are in it._

_AND! You get to see Ryu go a little nutso and show a softer side of himself. He's really a lovable person once you get to know him. He'd rather cuddle with…Well, yeah, most of you probably already know who he likes, but if you don't then this chapter really does reveal it._

_Anyway:_

_Read and enjoy. __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed.)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**(Part 2)**

Chapter 36-

The wind picks up suddenly, whipping across the world as if to let it know it was here. Her hair propels away from her face with such force she has to shut her eyes against it. Around her, she can hear the trees groan in response. They whisper amongst each other, keeping their chatter silent from her ears, but she knows every word they speak. Her heart swells happily as she whispers to the leaves a message she wants them to deliver. They dance around her, listening carefully, and then tumble away from her into the skies above.

She stares up after them, noticing the change in that sky. It's bluer, healthier.

'Naraku's power is already weakening thanks to her awakening. Only two more now.'

Out of nowhere, the wind becomes softer, a light caress of greeting against her cheek. She smiles.

Behind her, a flash of lightning hits the ground and a man appears, clad in a red and gold kimono of many layers and fiery red hair that trails down his back in a long braid. His yellow eyes open sadly and he stares down at the items in his arms. "What do you need?"

She turns to him, observing his sadness and then going to see what he holds in his arms. There is a kimono of purple and white, and a deep violet hair tie with gold bells at the ends.

She too falls to the sadness emanating from him and turns her gaze up into his eyes. They stare back, melting into her like a warm spark. She has to turn away, his gaze has always been too much for her to handle.

"She's gone." He whispers. "She's gone, Nightingale."

The woman of the earth touches his hand and wills some of the healing and calming powers of earth into his heart. "It isn't your fault, Loki. She was as much my student as she was yours. I shouldn't have let her out of my sight."

"No." He pulls his hand away from hers and brushes her cheek. "I was there when her 'Submission' bond was broken. I saw how it affected her and I did nothing to stop her from leaving. If I had, she wouldn't have vanished. Who knows what darkness has grasped onto her weakened heart by now."

"We can't think that." She shakes her head. Pointing to the sky, she continues. "Can you feel the change? _ She_ has awoken, just as the prophecy has foretold. '_When air falls..._' She fell when her temple crashed to the earth and she was trapped in the rocky ground."

Loki follows her gaze to the sky. He has to admit, the sky does look oddly brighter. "Nightingale, are you sure that prophecy was true facts. What if the past elders didn't exactly understand what they saw? What if they were wrong?"

She returns her eyes to his. Gently, hesitantly, she touches that face, one that has long been burned into her mind. "I know they spoke the truth. She would not have lied to us."

"She." He stares off into a distant memory. "You mean the last remaining elder alive. The last one who still holds the memories of that vision."

"Yes." She nods. "She came to us both and told us that something had changed in the time line and that the evil would begin to grow in power. She told us that the time for the Guardians was approaching once more. Lee's arrival in this world marked that change. She is our one hope. We can't give up on her. She knows what is right."

Loki covers her hand on his cheek and closes his eyes, breathing her in her scent. "You always were wiser than me." He raises his eyes to meet hers and he can faintly see the pink rise in her cheeks. He knows she can take on any age form she wishes, and he knows all of them; he loves all of them.

"What happened to make you hate me so?" He asks suddenly without thinking.

She blinks in surprise and pulls her hand from him, turning away. "You know what happened. We chose different paths."

"That isn't what I asked."

"This isn't what I called you here for." She counters. He can hear her swallow.

"Is it?"

Her shoulders fall as she sighs and then once more her eyes turn to the sky. "Loki, promise me."

"Anything." He swears with his whole heart, his deep, smooth words making her heart ache. He had always been good with words; so true, yet so harsh.

"Don't let her get hurt. Don't give up on her." Nightingale turns back towards him, tears shining in the corners of her eyes. "Believe in her."

With those soft, sweet words, like honeysuckle, she vanishes in a flurry of leaves that dance off into the trees.

* * *

Moriko tries hard not to think about the battle ahead. There's a deep possibility that someone could die and she could tell that this Kikyo was already losing her life. The soil her body is made of is crying terribly. She doesn't say anything of course. The Priestess probably already knows.

Inuyasha on the other hand seems so caught up in the fact that the woman is in trouble that he can't even see how upset Kagome is. Kagome told her not to say anything, surprisingly.

'I guess she can take care of herself.' Moriko thinks. Under her, allowing her to ride on his back, is Ryu in his new form that he won from Entei. When he gained this new form, it had shocked her that he was able to shift it into the demon horse from the Heavens; a horse of black with blue flames instead of red. The beauty of the horse really did Heaven justice. She smiles and pokes his neck.

He blows out a puff of air from his nose like any old horse would do when it was bugged.

"I'm proud of you." She whispers in his ear.

He glances back at her and she can see the question in his eyes.

"I'm just really proud of you." Moriko repeats.

Ryu just huffs and puffs of smoke leave his nostrils. Moriko laughs and waves the black smoke out of her face.

"Hey, would you guys quit messin' around!" Inuyasha snaps stiffly.

Moriko is about to snap back, but there on his back, Kagome shakes her head in warning. Moriko bites her tongue. "Yes, your Ladyship."

"What?" The half demon calls, obviously too lost in his own mind to even hear her retort.

"Nothing." She waves her hand.

"Kagome, can you still sense the shard?"

For a long moment the priestess is silent, and then, "Yeah, we're going the right way. I think I feel more shards though." Again, she pauses. "I think it could be Koga."

"Or Kohaku." Sango adds from her feline companion's back not far behind them.

'That's right.' Moriko remembers. "Sango's brother is traveling with Kikyo to keep his jewel shards safe.' A bad feeling forms in her gut. It has been there since they all told her that the last shards that remained out of Naraku's evil grasp belonged to the Wolf demon, Koga, and Kohaku, but for some reason the news doesn't sit well with her. "I don't think that's all of them. I swear we're forgetting something."

Ryu turns his head back again to glance at her, but she laughs sheepishly.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud again. You know me."

"What?" Inuyasha calls again randomly.

"NOTHING!" Moriko snaps for good this time, not caring if Kagome lectures her later. Already the young woman is throwing her a death glare. She tries to ignore the knives that stab into her.

A scent wafts under her nose suddenly and she sits up on Ryu's back. "I smell a wolf. He's somewhere down there." She points down into sharp jagged canyons buried in the mountain that they fly over.

Ryu nods his head, agreeing with her. He's caught the scent too.

"What do you want to do?"

Kagome rubs her chin.

"We'll stay topside. If Koga's down below, I'm pretty sure the flea-bag can handle things down there. We'll do better to search up here and cover more ground." Inuyasha decides. Moriko glances over at him. Since when is he all 'Mr. Mature Decision Maker'?

* * *

Far below, Koga skids to a stop and takes a second to search the rocks around him. He had decided to follow the winding canyons, figuring that Naraku would rather hide like the dirty rat he is, but so far he's found nothing of the slim ball.

Approaching footsteps catch his attention and he looks up. On the cliff above him, he spots a Priestess and a young boy close behind her.

'Wait…that woman…'

The Priestess stops cold, eyes widening as she picks up his presence, and spins towards him. Koga ducks behind the rocks to avoid her gaze.

He can hear the boy ask her something and she replies, but he can't pick those words up either. He swallows hard.

Out of nowhere, they all gasp as the ground beneath them begins to quake and tremor. The mountain splits in an explosive force and Moryomaru flies into the air out of hiding. The falling rocks spilling from the demon's wake knocks the Priestess and the boy over, but only she is the one who doesn't find a hand hold.

The boy cries out her name from the rocky ledge he holds onto. "Kikyo!"

The Priestess vanishes into the dark depths below.

'That can't be good…' Koga leaps down into the darkness, hoping he doesn't find a corpse below. Leaping from ledge to ledge, he finally makes it down to the bottom where the woman and her bow lay scattered across the ground, her dark hair fanned out around her.

"Guess I'm too late…falling from that height there's no way-."

"Your name is Koga, is it not?"

Her voice surprises him and he turns his gaze back to her. His face falls into complete shock over her survival. No normal human could have survived a fall like that.

"You're after Moryomaru too, right?" She continues, her gaze as cold as stone.

For a second he's speechless. "Uh…yeah, you too?"

"Koga…" With a swift and effortless motion, she draws her bow and aims it right at him. "Stop chasing after Moryomaru."

After a long pause, Koga laughs and props a hand up on his hip with a smile. "Huh, you're as dangerous as they say."

A weird feeling starts shivering through his calves again.

"I have no need to take your life, just hand over the jewel shards in your legs."

His smile vanishes. "What kind of request is that?"

"You must have realized it by now." The woman cuts him off. "The shards you possess are under someone else's will. You must have felt it happen many times: your legs freezing up in the middle of a battle and refusing to move even as you were facing an enemy."

"Yeah, Kagome told me that it was the work of some Priestess who died long ago named Midoriko." Koga nods.

"Midoriko and I have joined souls to destroy Naraku for good." She explains, keeping her grip tight on her arrow. "To defeat him, we have to wait for the jewel to be completed and then purify it along with him. Your legs won't move because Midoriko wants your shards to be taken by Naraku. Then again, if your shards are lost in battle, you could very well die."

"So," Koga starts, "You're saying I should hand my shards over to you like a good little boy and then just scurry on home, is that it?"

"I _will_ defeat Naraku." She answers simply and yet the words are filled with such hatred and venom that Koga can feel ice run down his spine. This Priestess isn't like all the others he's run across in his life.

"Don't mess with me!" He snaps to cover up the uncomfortable feeling settling in his gut. "Believe me when I say that Naraku is the enemy I hate more than any I have. He killed my pack and used their lifeless forms like puppets with no honor. There's no way I'm going to just sit by and not do anything. I will fight even if I die in the process!"

He takes off at her and she fires her arrow. He dodges at the last second and the small projectile ricochets off the rocks where he once stood.

"Aiming for my legs, eh? Nice move, but it won't work." Koga calls as he lands on a cliff above her. "I don't have time to fool around anymore. I've got to keep moving or I'll lose track of Moryomaru. See ya around, Kikyo." He takes off again, kicking up a cloud of dust in his wake.

At the same time as his departure, Kohaku comes sliding down the side of the rocks after her. "Lady Kikyo, are you okay?"

"I couldn't hit him. I didn't want to shed any blood that didn't need to be spilled." Kikyo lowers her head in thought, speaking mostly to herself.

Kohaku takes a step towards her. "We should keep heading after Moryomaru, Lady Kikyo. We'll lose him if we don't."

"Right." She agrees.

* * *

The sky begins to blacken over again, filling the air with a vile smell that Inuyasha can't stand.

"I will never be able to stand that Naraku's stench. It's everywhere!"

"It's his demonic aura." Miroku states.

"He must be close." Sango adds.

High above them, Moriko catches word of the news and glimpses the sky. Already it's becoming as dark as the night; an evil night. A deep worry comes over her.

'I swear we're forgetting something.' She thinks. 'Something is missing, I know it.'

They all land as they come to the edge of a valley, Naraku and Moryomaru flying towards each other directly over it. Their miasma spills into the forest below, killing the vegetation and all the animals who try to run away for their lives.

The group comes to a stop at the edge and Sango, Kagome, and Miroku all cover their mouths and cough.

"That's Naraku's miasma alright." Miroku glares.

"Watch your step everyone." Sango warns.

High above them in the sky, Naraku surrounded by his shield and Moryomaru with his new upgraded armor, the two face off at each other and prepare to strike. Even being this far away, Moriko can feel the negative aura they give off.

"I've been wanting to meet you again, Naraku." Moryomaru laughs.

"Are you sure you didn't just want to see the jewel shards I've collected so far, Moryomaru?" Naraku smiles back, lifting the nearly completed jewel in his palm.

Moryomaru laughs louder. "The Jewel is all that you have above me at this moment, Naraku."

"Are you sure?" The man smiles wider. Behind him, a vortex of dark energy begins to form, giving way to a path from the dark realm. Two forms appear, one cloaked in black.

Moryomaru's smile drops at the sight of the two.

"With the help of the Jewel I've also gained more power under my control as well." Naraku continues.

Below, Kagome gasps. "Wait, what is that?"

She points to the vortex behind Naraku as it closes and vanishes. Two forms are left in its wake. The group takes a few steps forward and squints to try and see what Naraku has pulled out of his sleeve.

The only thing Moriko can make out is the cloaked form of a small figure and a slightly taller one dressed in a black kimono trimmed in deep, blood-colored red, and a natural red scarf that hangs down to her ankles. Every so often, the wind will twirl the scarf like the Autumn leaves. Ryu shifts uncomfortably and changes back into his flesh form, standing close to her side.

"I'm getting a bad feeling." He whispers.

"Me too." Moriko and Kagome answer just as quietly.

Moryomaru clenches his jaw and growls, "Make as many incarnations as you wish, Naraku, but you still won't stop me!" He flies back and releases thousands of crystal fragments that project like bullets through the air towards Naraku.

As if a silent command came to the two, the figures hover up higher into the sky to avoid the attack, but the bullets pierce Naraku's body over and over, tearing it apart.

Inuyasha's group gasps in shock.

As the bullets subside, Naraku starts to laugh again. "How futile. No matter how many times you attack, Moryomaru, I will not die. Have you forgotten that you are the one that holds my very heart?"

"The same to you, Naraku." Moryomaru ignores his last question. "Killing me would be like killing yourself since I hold your heart."

From deep inside Moryomaru, an echoing voice chuckles "Yes, Naraku, seeing as I hold your heart, there is no way you can kill me without destroying yourself in the process."

"Why are you acting as if you've already beaten me?" Naraku asks. "I foresaw all of this even before I expelled you from my body."

"What?" The echoing voice hisses.

"You knew?" Moryomaru repeats.

"Did you not realize this when I placed my heart in the form of a weak infant? Why would I choose such a frail form?" Naraku answers. "I knew you would betray me and try to take my place. You even created the armor 'Moryomaru' to protect yourself or did you just build up so much bulk for my sake?"

"Stop stalling your death, Naraku!" Moryomaru shouts.

"Is that what you believe I'm doing?" Suddenly, Naraku's torn body begins to meld back together, taking on a new form of a red bug-looking creature with his torso attached and purple tentacles extending out of his chest. Above him, the two figures shudder at the wave of energy that passes through them from his power.

Moriko blinks, not sure if she saw that right. 'Those two aren't normal. Something about them is wrong.' Again, she watches the figures tremble as another wave of power rolls out of Naraku.

'Are they reacting to Naraku?' She wonders.

"Let's test that new armor of yours then. Defeat me and I'll let you go free." Naraku challenges, sensing his two loyal followers above him. He knows he'll use up too much power in this battle. He'll need to drain more of their aura from them to sustain himself later.

* * *

Not far away, Kikyo and Kohaku climb a small grassy hill.

Kohaku stops as the darkening sky comes into view. "Lady Kikyo, the sky…" He points. Kikyo follows the direction he points in and sure enough she finds dark sinister clouds rolling towards them. Her eyebrows pull together.

"The demonic aura is huge…" Kohaku stares in wonder as Kikyo joins him at his side.

"It is massive. It seems Moryomaru and Naraku have found each other at last." She states.

"Naraku too?"

She nods.

* * *

The purple tentacles on Naraku's chest fly out and grab onto Moryomaru's jagged armor, pulling him closer so that his sharp bug-legs can jab at the impenetrable armor. From behind, he stabs at him with his long barbed tail, but it just breaks off feebly.

With a grin, Moryomaru tears apart Naraku's newly formed body with another wave of crystal bullets and all that's left attached are the purple feelers.

"What's the matter, Naraku? Finding my armor too tough for you?" Moryomaru teases.

"That's enough Moryomaru." Calls the echoing voice of the infant inside him. "He's nothing but skin and scraps. Get rid of him."

"It's over…" Moryomaru smiles darkly again and fires more crystal bullets, reducing Naraku to nothing but floating bits of flesh.

Above, the two figures only blink.

Moriko clenches her jaw at the sight. 'It's not over. They know something.'

Sure enough, those simple 'bits of flesh' tremble and then bolt towards Moryomaru, covering his constructed armor and beginning to bubble like boiling flesh. Flesh like arms appear out of his back and Naraku's upper body appears as if he's trying to escape him, but Moryomaru draws him back into him.

"I've consumed him." He shouts victoriously. "Victory is mine!"

Below, Moriko and Ryu swallow.

Kagome gasp and from over the hill, so does Kikyo. Together, they watch as Naraku's jewel and Moryomaru's become one.

"They're merging." They both whisper.

"Now, all I need are the remaining shards." Moryomaru laughs, lifting his gaze to the horizon.

"No." Kagome cries.

"What is it Kagome?" Inuyasha asks, grabbing her shoulder.

"Those two." Her thoughts drift to Koga and Kohaku. "They're nearby!"

Moryomaru sense a presence below him and sends a hundred crystal bullets flying towards it, tearing away the trees and revealing Koga standing on a ledge. The wolf demon glares up at the floating challenge. "Wow, it's hard to know that you've beaten Naraku. You're even uglier than he is."

"Damn it, flea-bag!" Inuyasha swears.

"No, Koga! Run away!" Kagome cries out to their friend.

Koga scoffs. "Don't worry about me, Kagome, I can take this guy easily. Even if I ran he'd come after me so why waste my time?"

"Such confidence." Moryomaru laughs with amusement. He swings his arm and a spiral of red hot flames spin down at him.

"Goraishi!" Koga lifts his hand sporting a set of metal chained claws that have appeared through a rush of lightning and he hurls the elemental force of the claws right back at Moryomaru. The fire rips through the lightning and sparks it out like a candle in the wind. "My claws didn't stop it?"

The crystals hit the ground in a raining force right at Koga's feet. The wolf demon doges, leaping into the air. As he lands, Moryomaru hovers down closer to him.

"Give it up, pup."

"Adamant Barrage!" Inuyasha screams from above them. He swings his sword and thousands of shining crystals of his own zip down at Moryomaru.

The missals bounce off Moryomaru's thick armor without leaving a singles scratch. "Is that really all the challenge you can offer me, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha lands in front of Koga, raising his sword up to ready his defense in case Moryomaru decides to attack once more. "Get out of here, you scrawny wolf, but not too fast or I won't be able to catch up. Unless, you've got a better plan? Think we can ground him?"

"No problem!" Koga grins.

"No don't do anything yet. I'm going to rip apart his armor with the Dragon scaled Tensaiga."

"Hurry up, Inuyasha!" Kagome yells from afar. Moriko pulls her eyes away from Moryomaru and back up into the sky. Still floating there are the two figures. They don't move at all except to blink. Other than that, they just stare down at the battle below with no expression at all. Well, except for the hooded one. All Moriko can make of that one is the bottom side of the guy's face.

'Who are those two? Why are they still here if Naraku is no longer in charge? Shouldn't something have happened by now?'

"You've got to stop Moryomaru before he absorbs the jewel shards!" Kagome adds.

"That's what we're going against." Inuyasha warns him.

"I hate being used as a decoy."

"Too bad! Let's move!" Inuyasha spins on his toes and Koga follows suit.

Moryomaru follows after them and fires crystal shards at their feet.

Gut tightening in her stomach, Moriko turns to head after them. "We've got to help them!" Ryu grabs her arm quickly.

"No! Do you want to get hurt?"

"I can't just let them fight on their own. I'm not one to just stand on the side lines and you know that!"

Ryu tightens his grip, knowing he's hurting her, but he doesn't release her on any account. "I promised Lee I'd keep an eye on you-."

"Lee's not here, is she?" Moriko jerks her arm away and takes a few strides after Inuyasha before stopping. "Ryu, I know you're trying to look out for me and keep your promise to Lee. You're very brave and loyal for that and I appreciate it more than you know."

Her sudden change in character throws him off and his jaw goes slack and he widens his eyes.

"I know it's hard for you to let me fight, Ryu. All that training with the Guru has really helped me to be more open minded. My eyes have been opened to a lot of things. I'm not as hard headed as you think I am." Moriko smiles at him and he lowers his eyes. "I won't get hurt, Ryu. I promise."

"Really?"

"I have to keep you out of trouble don't I?" With a grin, she takes off at her full speed after her new friends.

Kagome comes to Ryu's side and touches his shoulder gently. "You really care for her don't you?"

"Yeah…" His eyes fly wide again. "Wait, what?"

Kagome giggles.

"We can't continue at this slow pace or we're done for!" Koga growls as they race away side by side.

Inuyasha just huffs.

"Maybe I can help!" Moriko falls into step beside them, placing Koga in the center of their triangle formational pattern. "If I can slow him down it will give you guys the time you need to take your shots at him."

Koga shares a look with Inuyasha.

"It could work." The white haired half-demon shrugs.

"Alright," Koga nods, "What do you have in mind?"

Back at Kagome and the others Miroku and Sango are about to go and help the trio, but Kagome suddenly gasps again. "No, Sango! I feel another shard approaching. It could be Kohaku!"

Ryu spins around in horror. 'If that boy gets too close, Moryomaru will have all the shards practically in his hands.'

"Kohaku?" Sango faces Kagome, pausing at the news of her brother.

"He may still be traveling with Kikyo." Kagome adds.

Sango goes into deep thought for a moment.

Ryu hadn't been told the full details about Kohaku's shards, only that under the protection of Kikyo the shards have become purified once more and are solely connected to the boy's life.

'Does that mean that if the shards are removed the boy will die?' Ryu wonders.

"Let's go, Sango." Kagome takes her friend by the hand and they climb onto Kirara's back.

Koga leaps and bounds off the sides of cliffs, heading deeper into the mountainous landscape. He looks back over his shoulder. "Havin' a hard time keeping up? Even after absorbing the jewel, all that armor should be a lot easier to carry. Must be getting slower in your old age."

Moryomaru crashes through a rock that jolts out of the canyon wall, only opening the space up around him that much more.

"Thank's for widening the playing field!" Moriko screams.

"Makes it that much easier to hit you!" Inuyasha adds.

Together they both fly out above the armored demon and attack.

"Dragon Scaled Tensaiga!"

"Earth Bindings!"

From below, she calls up rocks to spike up around him and trap him a teepee of earth. Inuyasha's attack doesn't seem to work though.

"I can't see his demonic points!"

"What?"

His sword slams into Moryomaru's shoulder armor and a mass of dark aura comes pouring out.

"What the-?" Moriko lands on the ground before Moryomaru and stares up at the corrupted darkness that escapes out from around Inuyasha's blade.

"Damn flea bag!" Koga snaps. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Just shut up and get out of here!"

The tone in Inuyasha's voice isn't one of annoyance it's desperation; it freezes Moriko's blood cold. 'What is he doing? What's wrong now?'

"Yeah, right. Like I'd leave and let you have all the glory!"

'What is it with men and their egos?' Moriko shakes her head and pinches the bridge of her nose.

Moryomaru just chuckles, releasing those vine-like arms and snaking them towards Koga. The wolf demon hurls his lightning claws at the approaching vines, but they don't cut.

"Why won't this work!" He swears, dodging again.

"That attack didn't work the first time! What'd you expect, for them to just up and become magically invincible all of a sudden?" Moriko snarls in frustration.

Inuyasha clenches his jaw as desperation sets in deeper. 'I can't see the aura points. Is the infant's guardian stone the cause behind it?'

"Move it, mutt!" Koga comes flying above him out of nowhere, claws sparking with electricity.

"Hit him here!"

Together, they bring their weapons down on the crack in his armored shoulder and dozens of vine arms burst out to welcome them. Acting in a split second, Inuyasha punches Koga in the jaw and knocks the wolf demon out range.

"What the hell was that for?" He demands after he hits the ground.

"If you're caught then there's no way we can protect your jewel shards, you idiot!" Inuyasha cuts him off.

Again, Moryomaru attacks Koga with the vines and the wolf races away to avoid them.

"Hang on!" Moriko slams her foot into the ground and a hand full of spiked bladed rocks fly into the air. "Dice!"

She kicks the spears and they nail each vine they can hit to the wall and stop Moryomaru's extended arms from reaching him.

Koga flinches angrily. 'Damn! Not now! The jewel shards are acting up again. I can't move my legs!'

Vines entangle around him, breaking free from the wall.

"No!"

"Dammit! Koga!" Inuyasha shouts.

Moriko is about to rush at the vines but a few more web around her own legs and trip her to the ground where her chin hits the rocks hard. Moryomaru slowly begins to pull his prisoners towards him.

* * *

Kikyo comes to a halt, feeling the cry of the jewel shards rush through her. "Koga's shards have been seized." Her eyebrows pull together worriedly. "We have to hurry, Kohaku."

"Kikyo!" A voice cries from above. The priestess and Kohaku look up as Kagome and Sango land in front of them on Kirara's back. Sango dismounts and stares lovingly at her brother. "Please wait, Kikyo."

Sango smiles at her brother. "Kohaku."

He smiles, returning the greeting. "Sango."

"Kikyo, you're going to use Kohaku's shards against Moryomaru aren't you?" Kagome asks.

"No! Please say there's another way!" Sango demands. "You'll die if you do that."

"Sango, I've already made up my mind." Kohaku frowns. Kagome watches as a clear determination lights up his eyes as he stares at his sister. He doesn't want to leave his sister, but he wants to protect her with everything he has and the jewel shards are all he possesses.

"It is the only way to purify and get rid of both the jewel and Moryomaru. Please understand this." Kikyo pleads with them.

"How can you ask me to let my brother die?" Tears well up in Sango's eyes as she shifts her gaze to the priestess.

"This is what I've chosen!" Kohaku tries to argue.

"I can't let you!" Sango shakes her head.

"You must move." Kikyo continues. "We're running out of time."

"No." Sango stands her ground, eyebrows pulling together in defiance. "You'll have to kill me first."

"Sango…" Kagome starts.

"Kagome, you must have sensed it as well." Kikyo cuts her off. "The jewel is attempting to absorb Koga's shards even as we speak."

Kagome turns to her. "That's why we came to you, Kikyo. Please wait here a little longer. Please."

Kikyo's expression turns to frustration. "Buying time…"

"Inuyasha has done all he can to become stronger! All so he can defeat Naraku before you do, so that fewer lives would be lost!" Kagome cries.

"Naraku cannot be defeated by a sword." Kikyo tells her. "I have told him this already."

"That's why Inuyasha's efforts should not be in vain." Kagome counters.

Kikyo stares at her thoughtfully, not responding.

The tension in Kagome's body eases some. "Kikyo, I promise you, I will protect Koga's shard. I promise!" She jumps onto Kirara's back once again. "So don't use Kohaku's shards! Sango, stay by Kohaku and protect him."

Sango calls after her, but Kagome and Kirara are already in the air, flying away. Kikyo watches her go as well, simply thinking 'Kagome what can you possibly do?'

With the wind tugging back her hair away from her face as they fly, Kagome stares off at the horizon where Inuyasha and Koga had run off with fierce determination. 'I want to believe in Inuyasha. I know he can do this!'

* * *

Having Koga, Inuyasha, and Moriko all tied up in his vine-like arms pleased Moryomaru much. Just a few more seconds and he would have two more jewel shard in his collection and he would be unstoppable. A dark grin creeps up onto his face.

"You haven't passed out yet, have you flea bag?" Inuyasha struggles to tease from around the vine clutched around his throat.

"Don't even accuse me of such crap, dog breath. I'm not as weak as you!" Koga snaps back.

'How can they possibly…be arguing…at a time like this?' Moriko rolls her eyes as she continues to fight the vines around her. They just tighten with each time she twists, like constricting snakes squeezing the life from their victim.

"Then do as I tell you, alright? We still have a chance if you just follow what I say."

"Who died and put you in charge?" Koga growls, surprised that the half-demon could still be so positive.

"Would you two just shut up?" Moriko yells at the top of her lungs.

"You honestly still think you have a chance, half-demon? Once I swallow both of you, I will have you shards and your power." Moryomaru laughs.

Moriko stops moving suddenly. "Wait…then why do you have me?"

Moryomaru smiles wickedly at her. "Every ruler needs a queen."

Chills shiver down her spine and she squirms in disgust. "Ewwwwwww! Gross! Ryu!"

A vine slithers possessively over her body, around her neck, and then up over her mouth, shutting off her screams.

"Koga, listen. Fire your Goraishi at me." Inuyasha calls.

Moryomaru's vine pulls Koga tighter. "I don't know what you're planning, mutt, but here ya go!"

The lightning crackles through the air and swirls around Inuyasha's sword and the dragon-scaled blade begins to absorb it. 'Our attacks can't break through the armor separately, but maybe they can together.' Inuyasha thinks, watching the new energy sink into his blade and pulse into his body.

Miroku and Ryu arrive at the top of the cliff, taking in the fight below. Ryu's hands ball into fists, but Miroku grabs his arm and holds him steady. "Stay back."

"Look, Inuyasha's sword it absorbing Koga's power!" Shippo gasps.

"I get it. If he can fuse those two powers together, then…" Miroku trails off.

"Then it'll be way more powerful." Ryu finishes his thought.

Inuyasha apparently has the same idea, but Moryomaru is starting to turn towards him.

"Oh, no you don't!" Moriko reaches out through the air for the earth. Even though she can't touch it, she screams for it with her thoughts and soul and her heart. It cracks and explodes towards her at her command and she flings it at Moryomaru's head. The ball of earth slams shut around the demon's head and blocks his sight. He frantically tries to claw at it, all of the free vines bashing at it feebly. One spiked vine cracks it and her eyes widen in horror. "Hurry up, Inuyasha!"

"Got it!" With his newly powered up sword, he brings it down on the spikey shoulder armor that protects Moryomaru and the blast from the power knocks the rocky loose from around his head.

"It's useless!" He laughs. "My demonic points are shielded from you, thanks to my guardian stone."

"Who said I was aiming for those?" Inuyasha grins. "The spot where you're trying to suck in Koga shows me right where to hit!"

Inside Moryomaru's armor, the infant cringes in horror. "Damn you!"

Suddenly, a thick black cloud of miasma bursts from the hole in the armor and Inuyasha is forced to cover his mouth, releasing the pressure on his blade. With his arms trapped though, Koga can't escape the smoke and his breath is lodged in his chest.

"Hey, don't you dare pass out on me wolf!"

The smoke gets to Moriko too and she starts to choke, coughing to rid her lungs of the poison.

"Moriko!" Ryu jerks out of the monk's grasp and leaps into the air and shifts into the only form that seems to be crossing his mind at the time; a form of anger and hate.

In a burst of jet blue flames, a white tiger descends on the battle field and its massive, razor sharp fangs rips into Moryomaru's side while its claws shred his wing to ribbons.

In a desperate attempt to get loose, Moryomaru's vines slam into Inuyasha and the tiger and knock them away. Koga falls unconscious and sinks farther into the thick armor.

A flash of light streaks through the air and a sacred arrow lights up the armor. "Inuyasha!" Kagome calls.

"Thanks, Kagome!" He responds.

"Damn you all!" Moryomaru curses them and flings more of his crystal missiles at them. Inuyasha shields himself with his sword, but Ryu takes two to his shoulder, releasing a painful roar.

Moryomaru flies off into the air to escape.

"Let's go, Inuyasha!" Kagome and Kirara hover to the ground for him, but he spins to Ryu. The tiger rips the shards out with his teeth, growls at the sky where Moryomaru took off, and then shifts into his dragon form. Inuyasha grins after the kid.

"I've got to hand it to him, that kid's tough! Come on, Kagome." He hops on behind her and they take off after him as well.

They pace in beside Ryu, gaining ground on Moryomaru, and that's when Kagome gasps.

"What? What's wrong, Kagome?"

"It's…Moryomaru. He's not…he's not absorbing the jewel at all." She explains. Ryu glances at her in shock and Inuyasha glares at the demon's back far ahead. His vines still have Koga and Moriko held tight in his grasp. "I'm not sure why, but I know that's what I see."

Deep inside Moryomaru's shell, the infant glares at his sparking shield. 'What is the meaning of this? I know my armor absorbed Naraku and the jewel so why is it not becoming invincible?'

"Haven't you realized yet?" Another echoing voice near him asks. Naraku's face appears out of the flesh around him. "Moryomaru isn't using the jewel's power."

"How are you still alive?" The infant demands, calling forth spikes to jab into him. Naraku grins, unharmed.

"Well, that was really quite easy. I'm surprised that you didn't even notice that I was devouring you from the inside."

The vines loosen around Koga, stirring him awake. He glares down at his legs. "Damn it! They still won't move!"

Naraku tries to touch the barrier around the infant, but it repels him. "Even from the inside, my barrier is stronger than you." He chuckles.

Naraku narrows his eyes and tries a new approach, extending those green, leafy vines from the demon tree he absorbed to approach the barrier. The light around the infant ripples like water as the vines slither through it easily.

'What? How can this be possible?' The infant thinks.

"These are the mystical vines from the demon tree known as Youmeiju. It dissolves barriers and feasts on demons. I acquired it especially for you. Now, return to my body quietly."

The infant quivers in fear. "If I am to be devoured like this, then…"

Moryomaru's armor splits from the outside and the infant appears.

Kagome gasps again. "That's the infant with Naraku's heart! He's coming out!"

"Now's our chance then!" He leaps up to stand on Kirara's back and let's out his Adamant Barrage. The crystals go flying.

The infant pulls up similar crystals around himself to repel them away. Behind him, Naraku's face appears once more. "You would abandon you invincible armor just to escape me? Yet, if you take a single move outside, you will be killed."

"And when that time comes, you will meet your end as well." The infant shoots back.

"So you plan on taking me down with you, even though I'm about to devour you?" Naraku chuckles.

From above, Koga has pulled himself over the spiked armor to where the infant is and plans to attack him, but Naraku screens out another blast of miasma which knocks him out again.

"Koga!" Kagome screams.

"What nuisances." Naraku growls under his breath before firing a strand of crystals at them that grabs Kirara's foot and hurls her against the rock wall. Inuyasha grabs Kagome before they can hit it as well and leaps into the air. Ryu flies after them and catches them.

"Moryomaru, you idiot!" Inuyasha yells after them.

The demon stops flying and a familiar voice answers him. "There is no creature known by that name any longer."

The armor known as Moryomaru begins to crack like glass and his crystal arm extends around his body. As he shatters to pieces, Naraku is left in his wake with a new gleaming body of crystal, with Koga and the infant trapped in the ice. He releases Moriko and she flies through the air. Ryu dashes forward, letting Inuyasha and Kagome leap from his back to the ground, and shifts again. His body morphs into his own and he catches the girl, cradling her body close to his chest. They slam into the ground and skid away a few meters.

As he comes to a stop, ignoring the pain across his back, he sits up and brushes a few bangs out of her face. Her eyes flutter open slowly and she stares at him.

A second later, a weak smile touches her mouth. "Told you I'd be okay."

He laughs and hugs her close to him.

Above them, Naraku covers the infant in the ice. "This is it." He smiles. Around him a cloud of darkness appears and out of it hover his two followers that came with him to begin with.

"Looks like those two weren't far off." Ryu says as Inuyasha and Kagome stop next to them. Moriko follows his gaze and stares at the two figures.

"Something's not right about them."

"I know." Kagome agrees with her.

Inuyasha and Ryu glance curiously at them. Not long after, Miroku and Shippo join them at their side.

"So Naraku really did absorb the infant." The monk glares.

"Seems so." Shippo answers from his shoulder.

"Koga, in mere seconds your body will dissolve and I will have your shards in my possession. Have any last words for your friends before that happens?" Naraku chuckles evilly.

The crystals tighten around him, suffocating him to death. 'So my legs won't move anymore will they?' He wonders. He suddenly remembers the Wolf Tribe Elders who he had to face to win the Claws. Their words come back to him like haunting ghosts. His jewel shards were under the force of someone else's will and the Claws would only protect him once against that hold.

Below, Kagome squeezes the bow in her hands and turns to Kirara who has returned to her side. "Kirara, please help me get close to Koga." The feline nods in understanding.

They take off before Inuyasha can stop them.

"I have to save him." She explains. "I promised Kikyo."

As if on cue, Kikyo arrives on the cliffs above with Sango and her brother in tow. Inuyasha glances up at her. The priestess stares off at Koga, completely oblivious to him.

'The spirits protecting Koga won't last much longer against Naraku's power.

On her approach, Kagome draws her bow and aims at the arm holding Koga. 'If I can just purify it…'

"Hit the mark!" She releases the arrow and it shatters the crystal along the edge but no more. "That's it?"

Naraku chuckles. "Useless as usual, Kagome." A faint purple glow cuts him off and catches his attention. Deep inside his arm, he can feel something change.

Koga clenches his jaw. 'My legs are burning up!' He opens his eyes and he spots something near him; the infant that holds Naraku's heart. He tries to go after it and a cloud of miasma tries to stop him, but a shield of white keeps it from touching him. 'The Claws are protecting me!'

He swings and the Claws pierce the shield around the infant.

Naraku's crystal arm bulges and bends, sparking with lightning from the Claws Koga wields. The Infant is pushed out of the crystal for all to see and the arms shatters. Koga breaks loose, a howl as old as the earth itself follows him out.

"Koga!" Kagome cries.

"Did you hear that?" Shippo asks.

"It sounded like the wolf elders that are protecting Koga and the Claws." Miroku nods.

High above, Kikyo nods to herself. 'Kagome's arrow restored the elder Wolves' power.'

Koga lands and glares up at Naraku.

He spills out a cloud of miasma, hoping to cover his tracks for him to flee.

"You won't escape!" Koga shouts. He throws a mass of lightning at him, but Naraku's two followers float in front of him. The tallest of the two holds out a hand and the center of her palm glows black.

"They're actually helping now?" Moriko exclaims.

They all watch in horror as the black glow hurls out a black and blood-red tongue of flames at the approaching lightning and disintegrates the electricity to nothing more than a shower of useless sparks.

"Fire?" Moriko and Kagome shout.

"I guess I forgot to introduce you all to my two new favorites." Naraku laughs.

"More incarnations?" Inuyasha demands.

"Much worse, Inuyasha. They are very unique individuals. No part of my body at all. Though, that may change if I see fit…pretty soon."

Kagome lowers her bow in confusion and disgust. "I really hope he doesn't mean…._that_…"

"Everyone, move!" Miroku unties the beads around his wrist and exposes his palm. "Wind Tunnel!"

"You damn monk…" Naraku glares at him.

Inuyasha and Sango both shout at him to close the tunnel, but Miroku refuses to listen. "Naraku will be destroyed now!" He yells. Already, the miasma Naraku is releasing is poisoning his hand, turning it black along the fingers and up the skin.

Naraku only laughs. "You'll die from my demonic poison before you can draw me in."

"Miroku!" Shippo cries.

The monk blinks the blood out of his eyes and spit out the blood that starts to spill into his mouth.

"Stop it, Miroku!" Sango cries.

'The monk is…' Naraku narrows his eyes in thought. "You're after my heart!"

The infant begins to slip from his grasp slowly, protective stone and all.

More blood escapes out of his mouth and Shippo cries louder. Inuyasha races to his side and forces the wind tunnel closed just as the guardian stone breaks free from the infant's grasp and disappears into the vortex. The monk falls unconscious.

"Why are you so soft, Inuyasha. A few more seconds and the monk would have had my heart. You would have won." Naraku smiles. His two followers float in front of the child still nestled inside the crystal arm to protect it, but the tallest one stares intently at the monk, watching without a single expression as the blood flows down from his eyes and mouth. A second later, all three of them vanish in the black cloud and into the sky.

With the battle over, they all rush over to Miroku's side. Kikyo kneels down to inspect him. They all plead with her to do anything.

Ryu and Moriko stand farther back quietly, a tear falling down her face. Ryu hugs her closer in comfort.

The night would be long and painful for the monk. Who knows if he'll survive until morning?

That dreaded thought hangs over them all, sitting heavily on their thoughts.

* * *

_So I gave you a teeny-tiny glimpse into Nightingale and Loki's past right there at the beginning. How'd you like that? Did you see that coming? Hahahaaaa_

_Also, there are some questions that are left unanswered here: Where is the other Guardian? Where the heck is Lee? Who the heck are these two new powerful followers that protect Naraku? What is Sesshomaru up to? Is the darkness being controlled by Naraku or is it controlling him? Who is the last 'Elder' that Nightingale and Loki know of? And where is this last, remaining 'Elder'?_

_In the next chapter, a few of these questions will be answered. It's all about Sesshomaru in the next chapter, people, so hang on! :D_

_Yes, I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __review!_ _(Please__**, they are welcomed!)**_


	37. Chapter 37

_Please, don't kill me!_

_I know I've waited too long to update, so I won't waste anymore of your time. Here ya go!_

_Read and enjoy. __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed.)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**(Part 2)**

Chapter 37-

She doesn't know how long it's been now since that monk fell to her master's venom. Two days? Two weeks? Two months? Time is all but an illusion to her now. It almost feels as if a pressure is building behind her eyes, clouding her vision; creating a head ache. Much like the stomach ache that has been forming in her gut since the battle.

But they had won.

Her master is now whole again except for his other puppet, the white-haired one who visits her every week on schedule to kiss her and whisper to her names that she doesn't understand.

Wait. It is every week.

Her eyelids twitch as the clearest thought she's had in so long pierces through the fog. For a second, she feels as if she can grasp her mind, but then it quickly starts to vanish.

It was every week that the white-haired one visited her to talk to her.

And he has been once since the monk fell. So it must have been almost a week already.

Just as quickly as it had come, the fog in her mind takes over again, relieving the head ache if only for a short while. Trying to think does this to her a lot; give her head aches. It tires her so much.

Her master has been kind enough to visit her and the other female this morning, but after he bite her he took the other female with him from the room. Her master doesn't seem as careful with her as he was when she was first saved by him. He blessed her with the dark power he controls and she can now go where ever she needs to be sent.

But sometimes she goes off on her own. He doesn't know of course. She could tell him, but he seems too busy with the other female.

The thought makes her gentle tracing on the mirror become a racking and her claw digs a long jagged scar into the fragile reflection. She pulls away slowly, staring at her hand. The mirror has cut her, drawing blood across the tip of her finger.

What was this feeling that trembles through her?

Anger?

The bright flames from the torch across the room flicker, but returns to its steady dance. She watches the fire softly. Something about it calls to her comfortingly.

The white-haired one had lit it with his white icy magic.

The blue flame never goes out.

There's another like it here. In the dungeon far under her master's castle. It is the only light he has allowed for the prisoner there that doesn't move.

The silent one never talks when approached, nor does she respond to any voice. She has seen her once when her master told her to check on the prisoner, but not once since then. What is strange to her is that the silent one doesn't eat or drink, so how does she sustain life?

Again, the blue flame flickers and shadows around the room shift from its light. Those shadows whirl across the floor, brushing her ankles with an icy caress that makes her shiver. Sometimes she goes to the shadows that call her more smoothly; sometimes she gets lost in their embrace and disappears to where ever they take her, other times…

Getting to her feet, her bare feet brush soundlessly across the wooden floor to the darkest corner. They grow up before her at her call, swirling into a vortex and opening their pathway to her. She falls into the wisps that take hold of her arms and pictures the place her master had been speaking of to his other follower, Byakuya.

"_Flowing clear waters as beautiful as diamonds, water creatures that exist nowhere else and hold so much magical power, and a sunken shrine that protects it all. This is the next place I shall destroy once my power is complete. The half-immortal there shall be the first to die._" He had said.

She never understood what he meant by 'half-immortal', but she felt as if she should remember it. It was important enough to her master and he may need to be reminded of the information someday. Maybe he would reward her with another gift of his power. Nowadays, a taste of that power was just as addictive as his visits.

The shadows give way gently and lower her slowly to the tree branches under her. She flips easily through the air and her toes curl to balance her weight as she crouches there. A few birds scatter quickly before the darkness can scratch at them with its long claws. Sometimes the shadows almost feel alive, but she wouldn't know. Nothing feels real to her anymore except for her master.

Instantly, the greenery of the tree around her dies at the shadow's touch and turns brown. Even the bark begins to decay slowly. She waves it away, fearing that someone would see the spot of death among the green life around her and know she was here. The darkness recedes away into the natural shadows to wait for her command.

Her gaze stretches out over the clear waters before her. The lake is massive, covering many miles of open valley and creating a wonderful wonder for the world to see. In the center of the massive lake, a tall spray of water, shoots out powerfully from below the surface and forms a dome before cascading back into the depths bellow. In the center of this spout is a narrow hallow hole, like one found in a twister, that is formed where the water twists away from the spout to arch out and fall with gravity.

The rest of the lake is silent and peaceful, soft ripples crash on the shore lines. The skies, bluer than she's ever seen, are filled with birds that sing happily; the noise irritates her ears.

The scene would be perfect if not for the presence of the darkness she brought with her. Why be stuck here with no comfort?

But then, something else stirs the air.

The power is electric, brushing against her with such force and strength that it nearly frightens her. The power then dies down to a hum around her and hovers there as if it knows her before weaving across her skin like a kiss and then moving away back to its origin. Her eyes follow the invisible visitor up into the sky where someone has arrived. The ball of light floats down towards the lake, stopping to pause above the spout, and then shifts and morphs until it begins to shape into a body. The light snaps away and a man is left behind.

It's the white haired one…but then…it's not the white haired one.

This one looks different; brimming with confidence and grace that the other one doesn't have nearly enough of. The white haired one she knows is slowly withering away into the chaos she sees behind his eyes all the time.

This one does not. He stops above the narrow hole in the spout and just stares at it. That's when his lips start to move and for a moment she finds herself just staring at those lips, but then she realizes that she can't hear him. She calls to the shadows to amplify his voice and carry it to her. They do as she commands and a moment later his voice echoes around her as if he's right there with her.

"This is the largest lake in the east and I refuse to travel any farther." He complains. "I command you to open: _Serine_."

The word apparently has some specific meaning because the spout roars loudly and the narrow hole widens and the spinning vortex of water weakens to allow him to drop below and vanish into the spout.

She'll loose him. She calls to the shadows and they take her around the calves and forearms, balancing her easily, and lift her into the air. She quickly flies through the air and dives into the twisting water spout after him speeding up as it quickly closes back up around her. Right when she thinks it's going to crash in on her, her body breaks through the roaring waves at the bottom, spinning harshly for a moment, but then coming out underneath the twister under the surface.

Her lungs thankfully, had time to take in a deep breath before diving under, but the shadows were left behind. She slowly moves through the water's depths, following the unknown white haired one. He is safely inside an air bubble with two giant fish escorts for company, while she's left to swim through the dark corals and weeds and hold her breath.

Swimming around a large coral reef, she stops suddenly. There before her is a massive sphere-shaped coral reef, hallow with many worn away holes across its surface. Inside it, something glows with a soft blue light, creating shining patterns throughout the waters and along the lake floor.

Her eyes widen at the sight. It's like a huge underwater fortress.

She watches as the white haired one's bubble approach the giant sphere structure and then disappears through one of the holes. She takes this chance to swim up towards one of the upper holes and pear through. The water is distorted along the inside of the coral sphere and blurry.

This confuses her. She reaches inside carefully and her fingers slip through the distortion…right into open air!

She jerks her hand out quickly.

The inside of the coral fortress is a bubble of air!

Pressing her face through, air seeps into her lungs and she climbs in the rest of the way and drops easily to the marble floors below without making a sound. Looking up, she takes in the world around her. It looks nothing like this from the outside.

The light comes from thousands of torches that line the tall cylinder pillars holding up the roof. Small trails of water inside little moats channel across the floor, all flowing in one direction, but it's away from the outside of the giant structure; as if it's pulled deeper inside the fortress by another much stronger force.

She can almost feel the tugging as well, but she ignores it, staring in wonder at the flowing creeks and torches of blue fire. These flames are not like the white flames the white haired one she's come to know makes. His flames are cold.

These are cold as well, but they seem to dance like water through a river, so unlike fire itself. Whatever this place is, she knows something powerful resides deeper inside.

The only question is: what does the unknown white-haired one want here?

Her bare feet carry her soundlessly across the smooth marble floors, weaving her through the many columns that tower around her. She skips gracefully over the many small channels of water and finally spots the white haired one again. He stands silently before a great white door, nearly fifty feet high, with gold and blue designs across it; baring not even a single door handle. His fingers reach up to brush the designs and the door makes a great boom as it opens at his touch, creating a small enough gap for him to trudge through silently. It doesn't close back, even though he already entered. It remains open.

Not waiting to miss the opportunity, she rushes over and ducks through after him, quickly scanning for something to hide behind. Another column comes up to her left so she twists around and places her back to it, relying on her ears to define where it is the white-haired one is in the room. His armored shoes click to a stop on the marble floor nearly forty paces ahead of her.

The center of the room.

She can tell by the way the echoes bounce off the walls. This room is circular. It would be bad for her to get caught in here with only one way out. These sounds circle the room and help her ears to target all the objects in the room.

Something large stands in the center of the room, but what?

She leans a little to see around the column and she finds the white-haired one standing before a large statue that stands inside a large blue flower, frozen in time. Through the petals, small streams of water find their way out from inside the flower and fall to the floor where another small moat circled the statue. The flower itself grows out on top of a gold cylinder stand with a thick green vine that crawls up its sides.

Her eyes shift back up the stand to get a better look at the statue. It's of a woman, one with the lower half of a fish and the upper body of a human. Her curls spill in all direction around her face and shoulders and down her back as if she's floating in water herself. Her arms are folded across her chest with her wrists crossed. Her hands curl up as if she's cupping something, but there's nothing there. Though she's made of stone, it's clear to see the shells and pearls that decorate through her hair and down her shoulders and waist. A her arms are adorned with bracelets and smaller fins that stretch from her wrist all the way up side of her forearm to her elbow. Her lower body, long and slender like a dolphin with wide flowing tail fin, is circled with the same jewelry and pearls that thread through her hair.

This giant fortress must have been built around this statue.

The second this thought crosses her mind, realization enlightens her. This isn't any old underwater fortress. This is a temple.

A water temple.

And whoever this statue was built for, the woman must have been powerful.

* * *

Sesshomaru doesn't know for sure what to do. This whole temple astounds him; being underwater but filled with oxygen. He stares up at the statue of the woman before him. Even his demon eyes can tell that she's not of this world. She holds a beauty that exceeds that of any demoness he's come across in his long centuries. Her long flowing hair swirling around her body as if she's suspended under the deep water, her softly closed eyes like she's praying silently, and her arms crossed over her chest and hands cupped almost like she was holding something.

For a moment, he starts to wonder if this place was once filled to the brim with water, but there's no proof of it anywhere. No water lines across the smooth walls, no growing coral that takes root at the bottom of lakes and seas. The fact that coral has grown in this fresh water lake alone surprises him. It shouldn't be, but even he can feel the magic emanating from this temple though it's been long deserted.

Once more, his gaze shifts up to the woman's face.

What is he supposed to do now? All the wind woman had told him was that he was to speak the name and nothing more.

Should something have happened by now?

Maybe this next Guardian was no longer here. Maybe someone has already raised it…or worse-killed it.

Did the Guardian protect this woman depicted in this statue? Was this woman the god or priestess of this temple? Perhaps a demon like himself?

Her lower body, like a long elegant fish, bends and spirals down to where it connects to the base of its stand. The tail fins are thin and flowing like a dress. He finds himself wondering what color it was. Was her skin pale as the sea floor or blue as the water? Were her eyes green like sea weed or pink as the coral surrounding the temple?

'More importantly, where is this Guardian I am supposed to find?'

'_Do you call for me?_'

Sesshomaru spins his eyes around the room, searching for anything that moves towards him. There are no shadows down here in this room, which surprised him more. Nothing moves at all, except the power that he feels swirling around him. It's mixed with something that doesn't belong, but he can't seem to pin point where it's coming from though. He does know that the power that doesn't fit with the gentle power that flows through these chambers, skirts uneasily along the floor, getting closer every few times it winds around the room. He focuses on this imposing threat, but keeps it to the side of his mind as he answers the call quietly.

"Are you the demon who protects this temple?"

The answering laugh is as deep and smooth as the tides, but gentle and kind. The voice answers in his mind. '_No. I chose this as my resting place until the time for my awakening came once more, but recently I have felt the rising of darkness across this land and knew my time was fast approaching. Sadly, the darkness has somehow locked me in my sleep and I cannot break free from this prison._'

"So you are the Guardian then? Why do I only hear you in my thoughts?"

'_I am asleep in the statue you see before you. Strange stone not of this world keeps me frozen here and away from my oceans that I love with all my soul. I can only reach out with my thoughts to the edges of this room. I have been cut off from the world above that has cried out for help for so long._'

Sesshomaru faces the statue again, feeling the strange, uninvited power skimming the outskirts of the room slow and come closer cautiously. Someone is here besides himself.

"How can you be freed?"

'_First, I want to know of you. How did you come here and how did you pass my typhoon?_'

"Another of your kind sent me. She called herself _Aura_. She gave me the name to speak: _Serine_." He answers.

A gasp echoes through the room this time, breaking through the threat that creeps closer, making it shrink away to the edges of the room again as it circles. Something moves, but the original power from this temple keeps him from targeting where it is exactly.

'_Aura. My sister Guardian. She is the protector of the Sky and the winds. Has she too been imprisoned? Tell me what has happened._'

Sesshomaru closes his eyes and thinks back to exactly what the woman had told him before he left and then relays it to the statue. "She explained that a dark power that should never have been awakened was called forth and is now being harnessed. Its awakening had apparently caused some things to happened that placed the three Guardians of this world into a sleep. I found her in the earth."

Again the voice gasps, this time sadly. '_It has begun then._'

"Explain." He demands.

A breath is drawn and then suddenly, he watches as clear blue tears, glowing like blue light, escape the corners of the statue's closed eyes. The tears fall from her chin and then down into her cupped hands where they shimmer and then go out. After a long second, a bright blue light explodes from the center of those cupped hands and Sesshomaru has to shield his eyes with his remaining hand; he had recently disposed of the demon arm he had acquired from an ogre demon since it didn't please him.

The sound of water makes him blink against the light and stare through the bright blue haze that shimmers from where the statue had once been.

Now there is nothing but the blue flower that had once looked frozen blooming bigger and bigger until the petals fold away and reveal its secret inside. The woman sits there instead, floating as if she's underwater, only now she's come alive. Her hair, blue as the dark depths, spirals around her through the unseen waves around her and the shells and pearls float along with it, her lower body is still that of a fish, but it now folds under her as if she's kneeling. Her bare shoulders tremble as she cries, covering her face with her hands and the bracelets around her thin wrists sliding down to her elbows with a few clicks.

"_The Prophecy we passed along to the Elders is beginning. The war will be bloody. There will be so much death._" Her voice is now free, flowing in and out of the columns around the room. Her voice chokes through her sobs.

"Explain." He repeats.

She pulls her hands a little from her face, enough to reveal azure eyes with no pupils, and she stares at him sadly. Her tears fall freely now as well, but she doesn't try to stop them. In answer, she lifts her head…and whispers…

"_Hear us, future children._

_Our words are of great importance._

_Evil is coming, we fear._

_It is great and mighty, corrupted by darkness itself._

_It will seek power and domination._

_It will strive for destruction and fear._

_But all is not lost._

_There is hope._

_One final hope._

_When air falls..._

_When water cries..._

_When fire bleeds..._

_The Guardians will awaken._

_Although, this evil will seek them out as well,_

_These chose by the maiden of souls._

_It will seek to use them to its advantage._

_It will use them against the world._

_Evil cannot gain their power..._

_Or the world and its balance will fall._"

Her head falls back down, but this time her eyebrows pull together determinedly. Her gaze levels with his and he is the one to blink.

"What does it mean?"

"_We are not free to See into the future now that we have chosen to live among the mortals. When we were called on by a very powerful Priestess from this world, we were moved and wanted to help. This Priestess too, battled this darkness that now threads back out into this world and we answered her call. Many powerful demons were sickened with this darkness and began racing across the land with a terrible lust for blood. The Priestess begged us to aid her in her battle and we swore away half of our immortal blood to be able to step into this world. By doing so, we are unable to return to our own world, but we are also unable to meddle in this world unless to battle what we were called here to battle. Our purpose is to keep the balance and that is what we did. We called upon the three elements that make up this world Earth, Water, and Air, and we sealed away the darkness back into the Underworld where it belonged. Sadly, though, we were unable to reach the Priestess in time to help her with her own battle as we did so and we had to watch from our Circle as the Sacred Jewel was born from her chest._"

Sesshomaru's eyes widen at the news. "The Priestess Midoriko called you forth?"

The woman nods, her pale skin shimmering a bit like the pearls that decorate her body. "_Sadness from her death torn at us deeply, so we swore never to meddle in the common wars again. We only fight the dark power. Someone has found a way around our Cast and has awakened this darkness again. We can only assume that they hold onto the Sacred Jewel and if so then it is only understandable. The Jewel itself holds the souls of the demons who were sickened with the darkness so that dark power is in the Jewel as well, but our power is also in the Jewel as well. The Priestess Midoriko held much light in her soul and that is the base of where our similar power originated from._"

"That explains why the Jewel can be swayed either way." He states.

"_Yes._" She nods again, wiping her tears away. "_And a piece of that dark power has somehow entered into my temple._"

* * *

_Okay, what do you think? I know it's a shorter chapter than the last one, but I figured an update was better than none at all. I'm working as hard as I can I swear._

_Anyone got any clues as to what's going to happen? Huh? Huh? Huh?_

_I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __review!_ _(Please__**, they are welcomed!)**_


	38. Chapter 38

_If anyone reads my profile updates, then you are already aware of the heavy writer's block I am currently going through. It has taken me forever to write this chapter for everyone and I know the next one is going to be even harder._

_Please forgive me and try to be patient with me while I'm going through this sucky blockage._

_This chapter introduces the new Guardian and also gives some insight to the next and final Guardian to be awakened. This new Guardian demands a sacrifice to be awakened and that's a human life, but whose human life will be taken? And who is this Guardian of the Earth?_

_Read and enjoy. __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed.)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**(Part 2)**

Chapter 38-

Sesshomaru turns around to survey the room, but again the natural aura of the temple keeps him from locating where the dark energy comes from. This annoys him.

"Can you not disperse your power?" He asks. Her laughter catches him off guard and as he turns around he finds that her expression has turned very sad and more tears are falling from her eyes.

"_The next Guardian…_" She starts, "_Will be a little harder to awaken._"

"How do you mean?"

Her azure eyes shift slowly up to his and he can't look away from that sad appearance. "_You must make it to the top of Volcanic Rock. It is the tallest mountain in the south mountain range and many of the inhabitants there guard the mountains with their life._"

Sesshomaru sets defiance on his face. "They will not be a problem."

She smiles and wipes away her tears. "_Yes, but the ritual will._"

"What ritual?"

"_To awaken the final Guardian, a sacrifice must be made. A human life must be given._"

"Then I will find a human in a nearby village."

She shakes her head. "_Not just any human life will do, but do not worry. The human life will be provided for you already._"

He narrows his eyes.

"_No need to worry. Though it will be a trial on your part, great dog-demon, it is a hardship you will have to face in order to awaken my sister._"

"I hold no human life within me."

She just smiles in answer.

"What else must I do?"

"_Find the ones who share in your journey and take them with you. They all must be witness for my sister's sake._" She responds.

He nods. "I will find all I can."

"_Very well. Now, you must go. I will be leaving my prison and when I do the temple will fall around me. Without my power to hold it, the lake will crush it and it would not be good for you to go down with it. Our plan would end if you died now._"

"Plan?"

Again, she just smiles.

"What about the dark power that has entered your temple?"

"_I will take care of it. It is not time for you to face it right now, but your time will come, young demon._" She twirls and rises off the blooming flower, floating above it and raising her hands to up to either side of her, level with her shoulders, and a blue glow starts to build up inside her palms. "_We will see each other soon. We have ever growing faith in you. Now go._"

Turning away with an uneasy feeling growing in his gut, he heads back towards the door of the room and the big heavy doors move open out of his way once more. When they close behind him, a flash of blue power explodes through the building and he watches as the air wall keeping the lake water out of the temple falls and a flood roars in from all directions. The bubble that protected him when he came down here forms around him again and the water crashes down around him without harming him. When the temple finally fills up with water, leaving no oxygen left to survive, the bubble lifts him out of the coral temple and up to the surface, dropping him off at the shore.

"So now it's to the south." He glares off at the horizon. "I tire of these sidetracks these Guardians send me on."

He shrinks back into the glowing ball of light and flies off into the sky; the wind bringing a very familiar scent too late to the spot where he once stood.

Across the lake, the surface breaks in a flurry of chaos and a form crawls up onto the wet sand coughing and gasping for breath. She hadn't expected the temple to fill up with water so fast, or the fact that the fresh water had quickly turned to salt water. The back of her throat is raw from the lack of air she was allowed to trap in her lungs before the flood hit her. Something else crashed into her as well down at the Lake bottom. It was a very strong power that she had never felt before. It was nothing like her master's. This power was not of this earth and for the first time since she could remember, she had been scared.

Truly and deeply scared.

This power could destroy her master.

What on earth are these…Guardians?

A second later after she had collapsed on the shore, the waters crashing and then swirling away from her with the sudden tide, the familiar dark shadows that she has come to know touch her gently on her arms and shoulders. Her eyes flutter open weakly at the shiver of energy that passes through her at their caress.

They urge her to stand, to leave this place, and she obeys; her legs shaking as they carry her into a dark vortex that opens up along a line of boulders.

Right before the shadows can take her, she swears she hears a whisper come at her across the water.

"_Choose your own path…_"

She's not sure what to make of it, but she does realize that she hadn't been paying attention to tell the shadows where to lead her because when she opens her eyes once more and faces the open room, the cold smell of death hits her dead on.

The floors, the walls, and the ceiling are all stone; cold stone that soaks up the smell like sponges. The smell makes her shiver and cough.

Such a weird sensation, coughing. She can't recall ever coughing before.

This place is the dungeon below her master's castle. She's been here before, but the smell was never this bad. The Silent One must be dying now.

She takes a few careful steps into the cold dungeons and heads down the hall of cells until she comes to the end, to the very last one, where the Silent One lies. The Silent One never moves, never talks, never eats, never drinks, and now it must finally be taking a toll on the Silent One's body.

Her hands reach up to wrap slowly around the frozen bars as she stares in at the older woman who has taken this vow of silence and has gone to that In-between world. Her master told them that the Silent One has chosen to reside away in the world between this and the next; out of his reach. What she doesn't understand is why? Who wouldn't want to live in her master's good graces? He saves people. He could save the Silent One too…

'_LIES!_'

She jerks away from the voice that cries out into the dungeon, but she doesn't hear it bounce off the walls like most cries down here do. This voice doesn't echo at all. It's strong and straight forward as if it's talking to her…directly.

She stops looking around and returns her gaze to the Silent One. Was it this one? Has the Silent One chosen to speak in her weakened state? Has she decided to be saved?

The Silent One's white hair, worn from age, was up when her master had her brought here, but it now tumbles in thin locks over the edge of the stone table she's been placed on. Her face is serene and quite beautiful in her old age, but wrinkles from many years of life have etched into her skin around her eyes and mouth. She appears peaceful, as if in sleep, but her skin gets paler each time she has come to see her.

The food that had been brought here for her is piled into a corner by the barred doors but it's starting to rot after so long of sitting there untouched.

She looks up from the pile of food to look at the Silent One's face once more. Something inside of her wants to call out to the voice but what would she say to one who doesn't speak?

'_What is your name…?_'

The voice returns, weaker this time, as if it's struggling to breathe. Again she looks around to find out where the voice comes from.

'_No need to look around, young one. I am here; in this shell of a body. Soon it will be all that's left._' The body on the table remains motionless, but a small light appears over it, floating as it hardens into a solid mass. As the light dims, the small sphere of light reveals a small red stone with a strange gold symbol on it. She blinks in confusion. She's never seen this type of symbol before.

'_Ah, but ye have, young one._' The voice laughs weakly. '_Have ye really forgotten?_'

What does the Silent One mean, she wonders?

'_So, it has happened? Ye have fallen._' The voice sighs sadly in defeat. '_It's all over. The prophecy will come true. War will tear this land apart and blood will be the only survivor._'

Blood? No. Her master would stop it. He'll save the world just as he saved her.

The voice laughs at her thoughts and the stone lowers a bit, the glow dimming even more. '_How has he saved you? By taking away your voice? By taking away your will? By taking away your strength?_'

For a second, right when the Silent One had spoken the word 'strength' another word had resurfaced in her mind, but quickly raced away. Had it been a name? Did she recognize it?

'_Do you know Lee?_' The voice asks out of nowhere.

She pulls her gaze off the floor. What's a 'Lee'? Is that a place?

'_So you don't know her…You should find her. She can help you._' The voice whispers. '_Lee was my student. A very gifted young woman, but very lost in her heart and soul. She had been torn between the two and now she has gone and gotten herself lost._'

Lost. She doesn't know this word either. What is lost?

'_You should find her. She will help you. Find her quickly, child. She's your only hope._' The voice becomes a soft whisper now, getting weaker and weaker. The glow around the stone flickers as it tries to stay alight, but even the stone seems to be vanishing again. '_Find her…PLEASE!_'

Lee…

The word is lost on her. Who is Lee?

Where is Lee?

The shadows swirl away from the wall and jerk in her direction. They take a hold of her arms from behind and pull her away from the Silent One's cell and back into their embrace; swallowing her whole.

Their cold caress is a warm welcome that washes away the building confusion in her mind.

She is returned to her room with the lone mirror that now has a crack in it instead of the simple scratch she had put there before. She stands before it and stares beyond it at the blurry shape deep inside. The form doesn't move anymore, but when she touches the surface of the cold reflection, it flinches and it unwinds out of the ball it had been curled in. It reaches towards her, but it can't seem to approach her.

She doesn't understand what it's trying to tell her.

The door to her room opens and the 'other' girl is standing in the frame. She motions with her head for her to follow her and she leaves the room. She follows after the 'other' girl and they both enter into the room where her master usually resides. They bow to the floor before him and her body trembles as his power flows over her. Her legs crave to go to him. It's been a while since he's bitten her, but he says it's because the power he gave her has had enough time to sink in. He says she's strong enough for now, but when will he give her more?

"You two came at just the right time." Her master's deep voice greets them after they've bowed. "You." The 'other' girl lifts her cloaked head.

"I need you to go to the Lake of the Lost Temple. Something has changed in the air already and now I can sense something else has occurred during my absence. Go and report back to me what you find." He orders.

The girl beside her vanishes in a puff of smoke almost instantly and she settles down. For some reason, she finds the 'other' girl rather…odd. Almost scary.

"And as for you, my dear."

She lifts her head now and looks upon her master.

"You, I need to go after a certain…obstacle in my way. Find him and bring him back to me. Alive." He flicks a finger lazily at the wall and the dark shadows open up a vortex. "Go. Let your power lead you."

She stands slowly and heads towards the vortex, pausing shortly to grab the silky black cape that her master's other follower holds out to her. He narrows his eyes at her suspiciously, but she's not sure why. The shadows encase her and she vanishes beyond them.

"Naraku, why do you keep that one? How is she important to us?" Byakuya asks him.

"I have already told you once and I will not repeat myself." Naraku answers coldly.

Byakuya grinds his teeth silently and spins on his heel to leave the room. Naraku has become obsessed with this newly acquired girl of his. Sure, he himself has never come across such power before that he senses in her, but that still doesn't explain why she is so important. If Naraku really has such amazing control of this new dark power of his, why does he need more? Nothing can challenge the darkness that has gifted Naraku.

His eyes shift to the shadows that fall out of his way as he walks down the hall and he stops. "I wonder. Just what is this obstacle that stands in Naraku's way?"

He blinks once and vanishes, following after Naraku's little pet. His own power leads him down the trail of power the girl has left behind in her wake and when he reappears, he finds himself before a large cave entrance. Two small children guard the entrance with a barrier and inside the massive circular barrier sits a boy. He wears demon slayer armor and weapon across his back.

Naraku's pet leaves the shelter of the trees and approaches them leisurely with absolutely no fear. The two children raise their prayer-folded hands higher and the shield glows brighter.

"Leave this place now. You shall not pass."

Byakuya steps out of the shadows behind his companion and smiles. "And who is this boy you protect?"

"That is none of your concern. You will leave now." The other small child answers without so much as a smile.

"Well, aren't we the little rude one." Byakuya replies, looking over the shield. "Nice barrier. Yes, very impressive. I wonder just how strong it is exactly."

Naraku's pet raises an arm and swings it sharply to the side. A shadow of dark black and red flames rip through the air like a hot knife and slice through the shield like a hot knife through butter, also taking with it the two small children. They vanish and Byakuya widens his eyes as two small pieces of paper fall to the ground.

"Apparently not as strong as it needs to be." He chuckles. "So Kikyo is using shikigami to aid her now? Naraku will be pleased to know that she is too weak to guard the boy herself.

Speaking of the boy, now undefended, he pulls his scythe off his back and takes off out of the cave away from them. Naraku's pet follows after him with her eyes at first, expressionless as always, but then pursues him at a steady walk.

Byakuya watches her go.

"Strange this one."

* * *

Kikyo and Inuyasha approach the cave where her shikigami should have been, but all they find is their paper forms left behind. Kikyo picks one up in her slender fingers to study the slice through one side of it; a clean cut with the edges slightly burned.

"Well, where is he?" Inuyasha asks impatiently.

"Someone has destroyed my shikigami, so now he is unguarded. Whoever did this is after him now. Kohaku's shard is in danger." She answers him.

A large explosion off deeper in the rocky landscape interrupts their conversation and together they head off in that direction.

* * *

Kohaku leaps up to avoid the flames that lick at his heels and explode where he once stood. Hurling his weapon, the chains click together as it dives straight at the dark eyed girl. She flips easily and avoids it all together, responding with another wave of hot flames thrown in his direction.

He gasps and ducks behind a rock just as they burst over his head. He squeezes his eyes shut tightly against the blazing heat that floods over his body. He tries to duck lower away from it, but the ground won't permit him any lower. As the flames die away, the man attacking releases his own attack and two large demon snakes slither after him as Kohaku tries to race away again.

The boy swings his weapon to his right, slicing the first snake's head off cleanly, but the other snake dodges him and trips him. His face hits the dirt. Kohaku tries to climb to his feet, but the snake wraps around him, coiling him up in a death trap. He struggles against the hold, but it only rewards him with the snake squeezing tighter with each pull.

"That is how you capture someone, my dear. I do believe Naraku wanted him _alive_." The man points out as the two of them approach the trapped boy.

"Naraku?" Kohaku gasps.

Byakuya isn't given the time to respond. A glowing green whip slices through the air and crashes at their feet, splitting the ground open. They both dodge just in time before they can get hit.

"Now things have gotten complicated." Byakuya growls.

The girl follows his glare and the unknown white-haired one lands lightly beside Kohaku, slicing the demon snake to pieces and releasing him. Kohaku hits the ground but quickly regains his footing and goes to duck behind the taller demon.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Sesshomaru of the Western Lands." Byakuya chuckles. "I didn't expect to see you anytime soon. Girl, you have your orders. Bring Kohaku along. Alive."

With that, she watches him chicken out and vanish out of the battle. Turning back to the new comer, she looks him over. He resembles the other white-haired one so very much and yet there's something about him that's different. She can't quite place it.

What had her master's dog called him? Se…ssho…ma…ru…?

Something inside her cracks and she closes her eyes. Deep inside, the power of darkness that swirls there shudders and slinks away into a blacker part of her soul away from the word as it rolls through her. She blinks in surprise, a sharp needle-like prick poking at the back of her head. Something flashes across her mind; a vision of some kind. At first she doesn't understand what it is, but then she recognizes the picture as the same surroundings that she currently stands in.

The vision is of rocks. Very steep rocks. A ledge.

The sound of metal being drawn out sharply snaps her back out of her mind and the darkness boils away all her thoughts once more; clearing her mind of all the pain, colors, and objects.

The sudden relief from the pain changes her mind about wanting to know what the pictures meant. Already she has forgotten them.

The white-haired one draws his blade with only one arm, the other missing amid the flowing sleeve of his kimono, and the sun gleams off the shined metal. She observes the sword for a moment.

What had her master said about this sword? '_Useless_'? '_Sharp, but useless_'?

Yes, that's it.

"_Ignore his words._" Her master's voice calls to her. "_He will lie; try to confuse you. Destroy him now._"

Her defense takes over instantly and she crouches low into her stance. Her mission was to bring back the boy. The white-haired one is but a distraction; easily overcome. He answers by vanishing, but not too quick to escape her eyes, and she flips back away from the sparks that explode where she once stood; his sword tip scraping the ground and leaving a scar. She lands on a boulder nearby gracefully, standing to her full height casually and just simply blinks at him in response to his attack.

Again, he comes at her, but she once more avoids him easily, slipping past him with her own speed and taking off at the boy. Kohaku crouches, ready for her attack, but the glowing green whip tears at the space between them and she's forced to flip away off her toes to avoid it.

This unknown white-haired one will be a nuisance to her. Her gaze stops on him again after she lands leisurely to the ground, taking in his sword. He has replaced it back into his sheath; quickly pegging her as a simple bump in the road rather than an actual opponent. Her gaze narrows as she realizes this.

He doesn't think she's worth it.

He's got such an ego.

She momentarily forgets the boy and holds up her hand, palm aimed at the white-haired one. Her blazing hot, black flames burst from her hand at her command and roar towards him at a blinding speed. He responds by circling his whip around him twice and then throwing it forward easily. The two attacks collide and sparks litter the ground from the sizzling explosion that takes place.

They each attack again, getting the same response. Over and over they go at it, each time she takes a step towards him. Kohaku looks away from the bright sparks, the heat and light hurting his eyes, and backs away slowly with each attack.

She finally grows tired of the game and races forward after hurling three consecutive fire balls at him and ducks under her own attack as she runs. He kills all of the flames easily, but is unable to bring his whip around in time to stop her.

He almost seems to hesitate when his gaze connects with hers as she flips under the edges of his whip, but she takes that advantage to get close and bare her claws to his throat. He dodges, dancing around to get behind her, but she matches his step and keeps him in her line of vision. They each bare their claws, even with him only having one arm, and near-silent swipes echo through the air, only seen by blurs of white light that whip through the space between theme here and there as they strike at one another.

She ducks one more time and does a spin kick across the ground to try and knock his feet off the ground, but he jumps.

She jerks her head up, following him with her eyes, and anger boils through her. This surprises her. She's never felt this kind of emotion before. Anger…it's very hot.

She comes out of her thoughts just in time to dodge his green whip again, flipping backwards and landing just as he does. They stare each other down, neither one breathing hard at all.

This battle is just beginning.

* * *

_So here's a fight for you guys, between Sesshomaru and the mystery girl of unknown origins. Anyone got a clue as to who she is? She has appeared in the first half of the story before…briefly. What's her connection to that mirror? Why is she getting visions of a tall ledge? Did something happen at this ledge?_

_I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __review!_ _(Please__**, they are welcomed!)**_


	39. Chapter 39

_Okay, this is way late and I do apologize, but I'm just not coming up with any good ideas for this story; and I'm sooooo close to the end too! I shall try harder though….for those who actually like my story…though I wouldn't know because I don't get any feed back._

_Anyhoo!_

_Read and enjoy. __**(And yes, reviews are welcomed.)**_

_(__**DISCLAIMER**__: The characters/storyline of Inuyasha are __**not**__ mine! I only own Lee, Raye, and their story lines; including any new characters that just happen to pop from my head and into the story.)_

_:D_

_-KB_

* * *

**Tears Left Uncried**

**(Part 2)**

Chapter 39-

The whip comes down again, breaking open the ground with a simple snap and she leaps up out of the way before she takes any serious damage. A few pieces of flying rock zip past her, slicing through her skin, but it doesn't bother her in the least; her expression still remaining expressionless and flat.

Landing, the white-haired one faces her, bringing the tip of his poison whip back to his side. His eyes narrow with each missed strike and she can tell his patience is running thin. What really confuses her is that, she knows that he is faster. Her master warned her of this. She knows he is stronger than he has let on so far, so why doesn't he try to finish her off?

These unanswered questions swirl through her mind, giving her a headache that she just wants gone. It happens a lot lately; these headaches.

Again, her master's voice comes to her inside her mind, calming the aches instantly with his smooth words. "_Keep avoiding him. Stay out of his range of he will trap you. Don't let your body be harmed. I need it._"

His last statement makes her legs tremble and she's forced to halt mid-leap, landing suddenly on the rocky ground. What does he need her body for? Does he plan to give her more power?

Her gaze falls to the ground as another wave of aches quake through her body. She can still remember the first dose of the power he gave her; how it made her hot and strong, stronger than she's ever felt.

She wants the power more than anything. With it, her master would choose her over the other girl. He'd stop taking the other girl out of the room and take her instead. She's tired of remaining locked up in that small room; away from the outside world.

"Has exhaustion hit you already?" The white-haired man calls deeply. His voice strikes into her like a sharp wind and the quakes in her body vanish; catching her off guard.

What just happened?

She raises her gaze to meet his challenging eyes. They're golden like the sunrise.

Again, something deep inside her cracks and starts to break like glass. She closes her eyes against the pain and peers deep within the dark power swirling in her being. There's something there, deep in the darkness. It's tall and narrow, gleaming from some impossible light across it's smooth surface. It reminds her of the mirror back in her room. This mirror too has that blurred shape in it that she can't make out, nor reach. The image shifts and bends, reaching towards her and then shuddering as if in pain.

A long crack slices through the glass and she jerks in surprise.

"_Ignore his words. He lies._" Comes her master's smooth voice. She pulls herself out of the confusing place and returns to the present situation. If the white-haired one doesn't plan on killing her then she will kill him. "_That's my girl._"

Craning her neck to one side, it pops and she aims her gaze back onto her target. She raises her hand and a mass of swirling black and red-tipped flames are brought to life around her palm; licking at her skin harmlessly. This heat she knows. This heat is where she's home.

"Who controls you?" The white-haired one speaks again.

Controls her? Her gaze narrows. No one controls her.

"Your mind is not your own." He observes, lowering his glowing green claws. "Who controls you?"

She lowers her hand a fraction of an inch. Controls…somehow the word is unknown to her and yet she knows what it doesn't mean deep down: freedom.

_Freedom…_

Hadn't the Silent One said something similar? '_How has he saved you? By taking away your voice? By taking away your will? By taking away your strength?_'

What did all this mean? Why does it hurt so much?

The headache returns, burning through her skull like her own inner heat, and leaving her head feeling like it's going to split open. She grabs her head, her black fire sparking away like a weak candle flame and her claws dig into her skin.

"_Why do you allow him to deceive you?_" Her master demands. His words don't really register into her head. The pain is too strong.

Her knees grow weak, shaky, and she can't seem to stop the spinning.

"_Stop this nonsense!_" Her master's angry voice shatters the pain and her memories fly away from her grasp; leaving her dazed and even more confused. What had happened? What is this emptiness. "_Obviously, you are not ready to be out. Return to me._"

Shadows leaps to life from everywhere and spiral into a vortex behind her. Her body is lead towards them automatically.

A whipping sound flies past her ear and tears at the edge of the vortex and rips it apart. The tear cries and the vortex falls back into the shadows away from the light. Her body reacts to the attack robotically and she flips back away from it.

"I won't have you running away from a fight." The white-haired one glares, once more raising his poisoned claws. "I'll have your head unless you tell me what I want to know."

Her master's presence comes into her, making her shiver in response, and his voice comes out of her lips. The sensation is breathtaking, like a cold wave crashing over her burning body. She falls to his power and allows his message to the white-haired one to be delivered as he wishes.

"_Then ask away, High Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands._" He chuckles.

The white-haired one pulls his sword free again, baring the blade to the wind. "Naraku." He greets angrily.

"_Yes, it is I._"

"Still hiding like the cowardly half-demon you are."

Her master laughs, his smiles forming on her mouth involuntarily. "_Half-demon? Ha, not for long. Soon I shall be the king over this whole land. Or better yet, this whole world. My new power will grant me whatever I want. As long as I grant it the Sacred Jewel I will be given anything I desire in return. Already, I have gotten my most desired prize…if it has not come to your attention yet._"

Her hand raises on its own accord and settles over her chest, the beat of her heart thrumming against it. What does her master mean? Had he always wanted to save her? What does he know about her that she doesn't? Does he still intend to help her find her lost identity?

"Who is this child?"

Her master chuckles. "_Has her form really changed since you last saw her? I do recall that it's been many moons since you last aided her in her quest, but surely your memory is not this flawed._"

So the white-haired one knows about her? Could he help her too? Maybe her master wishes him to join them too. It would certainly be a good thing. The more help to bring about her master's vision the better.

"I do not…"

"_I am appalled at you, Sesshomaru._" Her master's voice continues out of her mouth. "_I wouldn't expect you to be this cruel._"

The shadowed vortex returns to her back and her foot moves backwards towards it.

Out of nowhere, an arrow flies and hits the vortex with a pure violet light, shattering the shadows like familiar glass shapes. Once more, the unknown heat of this new emotion anger burns to life within her. She wants to return to her master. Now.

"Naraku." A woman calls.

Inside her, her master growls angrily.

The half-demon with dog ears and a woman dressed in priestess attire enter in on their conversation.

"Release the dead one." The woman continues.

"Dead one?" The white-haired one asks.

The dog-eared one glances at the woman curiously too.

"Her soul no longer resides in her body. This I can feel." A sad expression forms on her brow. "She is like me; and yet…she isn't. Something is not right."

"_Return now!_" Her master's voice orders inside her. She spins on her heel and dives into the shadows that gather on the ground behind her. They pull her into their embrace and then release her back into her cold, lonely room. The other girl isn't here to welcome her, but her master is.

She drops to her knees before him, finally relieved to be off her weakening legs. When she looks up to him, he advances on her faster then she can blink, his palm striking her face hard and bringing fire to her jaw. The hit doesn't surprise her, his anger does. He's been angry before, but nothing like this.

"Why isn't your mind breaking? Your power falls to me, your mind falls to me, your body falls to me, yet your heart does not. What am I overlooking? Where is the weak point in your system?" He glowers down at her as she stares down at the cold, hard floor. After a moment of thought, a dark smile comes to his face and he kneels down to her level. His cold fingers brush her raw cheek like a sharp dagger, making her shiver, and then down her jaw. Tracing a burning cold line down her neck and then down to her collar bone, his fingers possessively sweep back the loose neckline of her kimono to expose her bare shoulder. There across her skin is the burned image of a spider, carved into her smooth skin; left in the center are four puncture wounds that would line up into a square. The puncture wounds are already white as if made long ago, but the spider mark still pulses with an odd aura. At his touch, the aura swells and beats faster, making her heart quiver.

"It has been a while since I've given you more connection with the darkness." He responds, his red eyes slithering over the spider mark that stretches from the base of her neck to the edge of her shoulder while the thin, jagged 'legs' crawl over her collarbone and down her back. It grows each time he comes to bite her, but that's what he wants. The more control he has over her, the more her power falls under his grasp; the more she becomes his. He leans towards her ever so slightly and her body reacts just as he wishes; she grabs onto his kimono sleeve and her eyes burn with a need so deep she'll probably never break from it. Naraku grins sinisterly and goes to grab the back of her neck roughly, jerking her head back enough so that he can reopen the puncture wounds once more, injecting more dark poison into her system and corrupting her mind and being even more. Soon she would fall to the darkness and no one would be able to save her.

She whines a little in slight pain and her grasp on the front of his kimono tightens. He forces his power down onto her mind, bringing the wandering thoughts back under his rein and her mind yet again falls to him at will. He does the same with the shattered emptiness where a soul should be and the wild, uncontained power within her shrivels back into its place at his command. The poison continues to drip through her body, threading into her blood, soaking into the muscles and tissues of her body, gluing to every brain stem in her head, and then travels onto her heart.

As usual though, it hits a wall just as it comes so achingly close to sinking into the softness of her heart. The wall hadn't been there before he attained her, so whatever trauma she had suffered before is keeping him from poisoning it.

He bites harder and she flinches.

He would just have to break the barrier. His grasp on the back of her neck sharpens and he uses his other hand to push against her, knocking her onto her back. He hovers over her, sinking his teeth into the mark and forcing a new wave of even stronger poison into her body. The spider mark pulses darkly, growing bigger and bigger until the spider's 'legs' are slithering over her chest and torso.

Her body trembles against the wave of power being given to her and her own flames lick hotter at the new darkness feeding it hungrily. This is what she wants isn't it? She wants to be stronger for her master. She wants to aid him and be everything he will need in his new world.

'_If so then stop fighting my commands._' He snaps into her thoughts.

But she's not. She doesn't fight against him ever.

His anger taints into the power he presses into her body and it rattles through her terribly. With a shockingly painful jerk, he tears his cold lips from her neck and rises to his full height.

"That should be enough. By tomorrow the wall should break and your heart will be nothing more than a shell. Just like the rest of you." He laughs coldly, licking the blood from the edge of his mouth. He leaves the room, leaves her shoulder openly bleeding, leaves her feeling more empty and confused than when he had first come, leaving her feeling colder than what she's used to.

She rolls over onto her side and arches her neck so that she can gaze blankly into the mirror in the corner. The blurry image there still shudders and trembles as if in pain, but faintly, just faintly, she can make out a sound…

Sobs.

* * *

_This time the smut was someone else's fault. My newest friend who I met at my job said she'd help me, read a few of the chapters, and then told me as well that I needed more smut. I admit that the last couple of chapters have been bland, but I really wanted to focus on the new girl and some more action. Apparently though, my new friend said that I needed some emotion in there too. Why do I let people do this to me, honestly? Hahahaa! Just kidding._

_I'm still taking contribution from people if they'd like to put some of their own ideas into the story, so if you got one then please let me know._

_Please read and __review!_ _(Please__**, they are welcomed!)**_


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